what happens when you start smoking 8 weeks after bypass surgery?

Question

My husband was told smoking after bypass surgery would kill him. He was supposed to have a 6 way bypass and the doctor could only do a quadruple, he could not by pass the other two veins they were to far gone. He is only 50 years old and the doctor was shocked at how bad his arteries were 1 completely blocked, 1 90% blocked and 2 about 80% blocked he went a year with angina and never said nothing until he was traveling for work in mexico and he had chest pains there, he made a doctors appt when he got home, 2 weeks later he flunked his stress test in 4 minutes. He was kept in the hospital until after the open heart surgery. He was told smoking again would kill him and we his family members were told that as well, we were also told he will live a comfortable life, but not be the same. He says he feels better, and it took him 50 years to get into that shape, he probably doesn't have 50 left so if he wants to smoke he is going. Is this really as devasting as I think?

None of us want him smoking,,,we cannot control when he isn't around either. It is a nasty addiction to have. He was hiding it from me to begin with so I thought me catching him smoking and reminding him about what the doctor said would stop him. It just made him stop hiding the smoking from everyone. I am his wife and personally I don't know why he bothered to okay the surgery. I just want to know the facts cause I scared of wondering when it is going to happen, I hate what it is doing to me!

Answer 1

If that man smokes again EVER he'll be dead in no time - AND DESERVES TO BE I'm sorry to say - and furthermore, if You let him, you should be put away !!!! Has he NO sense? My God, he's just got away with DEATH - let's not beat about the bush - so if he wants to see the rest of what can be a long life, HIDE THOSE BLOODY F A G S !!!!!

Answer 2

My father just had Quaduple bypass surgury he is 68 years old he had smoked for 51 years. He also had 1 artery 100% blocked and 2 - 90% blocked and 1 - 80% blocked that they could bypass there were others that needed bypass but would not work. He had a Fem-pop performed on both legs which used most of the usable viens needed for the heart bypasses. Long story short, The doctor explained that the nicotine in smoking shrinks the arteries significantly and after bypass surgury the areas that are connected together will start to leek and and possibly come apart. Also it slows tremendously the healing process of the bypass area. After this graphic description my father was still having a hard time with the smoking. We went to the hospital to get a sonagram of the left-over veins from the leg bypasses to see if there were any left. There at the hospital was a patient waiting for a sonagram that had a quadurple bypass in 1996 with no complications and had stopped smoking, he started back smoking in early 2006 and now all the bypass are leaking and had little hope of them bing able to fix them back right. This experience with someone that it actually happened to cured my father It has been 6+ weeks now since he quit smoking and 4+weeks since the surgury, he still has good days and bad but has resolved to stop smoking.Yes smoking as little as one cigerette a week will harm or possibly kill him. Let him Know you need him, Pray with him and love him.

Answer 3

Smoking is a definate risk factor, especially being post-op from a CABG (coronary artery bypass graft) surgery. However, his genetics played a big part of the disease, too, I'm sure.
My dad had a CABG (4 bypasses; unable to do 5th), and they found an aneurysm ON his left ventricle. Caused by his first heart attack and that particular tissue dying. His surgery was early this year. We found out this past month that he's smoking again.
I WORK IN SURGERY, (I do heart surgery) so this was very hard for me to accept. I know the surgeon's personally, that did his surgery, so I told them he was smoking again; cuz I knew HE wouldn't. They confronted him and told him at this rate his new bypassed vessels will fail him SOON!!! But, he cannot stop. He was up to 3 packs a day!! Since the tender age of 13. So sad.
But,,,no one can MAKE a person stop smoking. They have to do it for themselves, and nobody else. And if going thru a heart attack, and/or open-heart surgery and all the recovery that goes with it didn't do it,,,what are the chances you'll change someone NOW???
It's difficult to deal with...all you can do is love them unconditionally while they're here. Once they're gone, will all that "harping on them" really have mattered? Sometimes quality of life is better than quantity. Hang in there.................

Answer 4

I have the same problem my husband had an open heart surgery to repair his 2 arteries and last week i caught him smoking. All along he hid it from me. And i felt I got stabbed behind the back. He got a lot of excuses and I feel bad not for me but for our 2 sons, an almost two in September and almost 8 years old. He worked in a call centre and been there for almost 10 years. So that's his excuse. We were just fighting this morning his trying to quit again today but he's getting out of control. And he's like blackmailing me that he will loose his job and will be too hard if he will because I'm only worked here and there because I'm a casual employee. I dont know what to do so frustrated I want to leave him but I feel so sorry for my kids they adore their dad, he is s good father but i feel that he dont care what I've been through when he had to have a pacemaker for his enlarged heart and after openheart

Answer 5

I had by-pass surgery in June 2006. I'm not a smoker and the heart surgeon and personal physician both informed me that IF I had been a smoker I would have not survived. I dont smoke, really enjoy loving and seeing my wife, children, grandchildren and friends. That is by far more important that having a smoke.
I also attended a 13 week program called ' Cardiac Rehab'. It was great and I now walk and exercise 4-5 days a week and do about 12 miles. My weight is down, my staminia is up and life is great. Tell your hubby to 'get a life' and not be so self centered.

Answer 6

He can expect to die much sooner, that's for sure. I agree with the person near the top of the list who said "give him a gun, it'll be quicker (and less painful)." He could end up having a massive heart-attack or stroke, so I would get on him about it until he quits. My grandma just got a quadruble-bypass surgery almost 2 years ago now, she said she'd quit smoking, which she did for a while, but now she does again, but she seems to be doing fine, so you never really know I guess. It's their responsibility to quit though, don't let him use excuses like stress and blaming the tobacco companies as reasons to keep smoking. Get him to stop as soon as possible. You nagging and putting some stress on him about it now will be a lot less painful to him than having more heart problems, or dying a slow, painful death from some lung disease! Good luck too you!

Answer 7

I m reading all of these comments and I m frightened for my brother, who will be 51 this September. He had quadruple bypass surgery in October, and did extremely well. Smoked for years and had tried quitting 6 months prior to his cardiac episode. He put on a little weight, and is very stressed at work, so has fallen prey to lighting up again. I found out through a family member, and said my brother is hiding it from my self and my Mother. I love him very much, and know nicotine habit is tough to break. I m angry and worried at the same time !! I don t want to lose my brother..

Answer 8

I know a man who had a double by pass in 85', left the hospital AMA 2 days after surgery. Resumed smoking and drug addiction. In 91' was diagnosed with kidney cancer, size of grapefruit,they removed the kidney. No chemo or anything, left hospital, resumed life of drug addiction. In 98' had a stint put in heart after two more mild heart attacks. In 2000, had another stint put in heart after yet another mild heart attack. While he gave up the drug addiction, has remained a smoker. He is a 62 year old Viet Nam Veteran.

Some people just live until they die.

Answer 9

Smoking is the absolute worse thing you can ever do to yourself. It sounds like your husband has bad genes as well. Normally smokers don't necessarily get in such bad shape by 50. It' just that now that he is, he needs to modify all of his modifiable risk factors. The major one would be smoking. Smoking causes severe vasoconstriction....since your husband's arteries are already impaired (narrowed and blocked) this narrowing could be a matter of life or death.

Answer 10

I had a double by-pass. Was suppose to be a quadruple but I had the same problem, two had gone to far to repair. Was told the next puff of the next cigarette could be the last thing I ever did. Three years later, was told I was diabetic, and this could affect my heart, liver, lungs, kidneys, legs and eyes. I was so depressed, I went out and bought some cigarettes. No, the next puff didn't me, but it was most stupid thing I could have ever done.

Answer 11

Smoking causes major damage to your cardiovascular system. The risk of renewed heart disease is even greater than the risk of lung cancer. Patients who continue to smoke after bypass surgery are likely to have their new arteries blocked sooner than those who do not smoke. That's why it's essential for patients who smoke to quit after their surgery. If you intend to smoke after surgery, it defeats the purpose of the original surgery.


Secondhand smoke may also increase your risk, so this is a good time for all members of your household to quit. For information on finding support to quit smoking, see "Additional Sources of Information".