Why am I denied back surgery because I smoke?

Question

I have facett joint disease secondary to pseudo spondylethises surgeon will not operate on me unless I quit smoking for 3 months I am in extreme pain alot. Why am I denied medical treatment because I smoke there are always risks involved with any surgery

Answer 1

guessing: your lungs are in terrible condition due to your smoking. smoking also slows down your healing process due to depleting your bodies ability to absorb certain vitamins and minerals. your circulation is more than likely compromised due to the amount of tar, nicotine and plaque in your arteries and veins.i could go on and on. sorry.

Answer 2

Smokers and even obese people are now being refused surgery in many places, not just the United States but also in Canada and the UK. Everyone knows smoking is bad for your health, so I'll save that part of this post (I'm sure you've heard all of that before). But what most people don't realize is that smokers and obese people drain the health care center resources. They tend to be sicker more often, stay sicker longer, have more complications, and require more expensive tests and treatment than non smokers and non obese individuals.

In the case of smoking in particular, there are increased risks during any surgery in a smoker. These risks include: lung infections, blood clots, increased risk of heart attack, and an increased risk of a stroke.

Unfortunately, the answer to your question boils down to two simple things: reputation and money. Health care resources are expensive, and society as a whole feels like if they are going to spend thousands of dollars to treat a person, that means the person is "worth it". And in the case of smokers, many people believe that they will die early of lung cancer, throat cancer, or similar diseases, so that they are not "worth it". Some people believe that a smoker who knows smoking is bad for them must not feel they are "worth it" so why should society in general care about them either. By the way, this does not reflect my views, I'm just telling you what is the case.

As for reputation...it's all about the hospital's reputation and the surgeon's reputation. If something goes wrong, it can tarnish a perfectly good surgeon or hospital's reputation. Why tarnish it by taking a "high risk" surgery candidate such as a smoker on? Many hospitals and surgeons are not willing to do so.

1 in 5 smokers are being denied surgery these days, because of their habit, and the three month window is not unreasonable. If the surgery could save your life, kick the habit. If you don't think it's worth kicking the habit, then will the surgery really do you any good in the long run if you die of a serious illness caused by your smoking habit?

Do I think it's right they deny patients surgery because of their lifestyle choices? No, not entirely. I think everyone is entitled to their own opinion and should be able to live their lives in a variety of ways. However, I do feel that any surgeon and any hospital has a right to refuse to treat anyone, in the same way that businesses have a right to refuse to do business with anyone they choose. Hospitals and surgeons do have one responsibility to ALL patients however, and that is if they are unwilling to treat them, they are required to point them in the direction of someone who will treat them.

Answer 3

In order to properly heal from any surgery you have to be smoke-free. The doctor's not trying to be a ****, he's just looking out for you! There are many more risks involved for smokers, so either quit smoking for 3 months or forget the surgery!!!

Answer 4

I have heard that smoking interferes with the healing process. It has also done damage to your bone structure. When someone quits smoking, the body begins to heal itself almost immediately. So is sounds as though the surgeon wants you to allow your body to become more healthy so your surgery will be successful.

Answer 5

When put under anesthesia there is a risk that you might need life support. You have better chances of surviving any life sustaining procedure if you have clean lungs. It takes three months for the lungs to regenerate themselves.

Answer 6

Smoking greatly increases all of the risks involved in surgery. and adds others as well.

The better question is why are you still smoking when you know just how hazardous it is to your health and the health of those around you?

Use this as motivation to quit completely.

Answer 7

The best person to answer your question is the surgeon. Ask him to explain in detail what the risks are and direct any questions you may have to him. He's your best bet for correct answers. Good luck...

Answer 8

Hi there!
Your answer is, because smoking interferes with blood clotting and you could bleed excessively during surgery.
I hope this helped!
Take care! :)

Answer 9

smoking causes delay in bone healing

Answer 10

Same situation here.

They are telling you to quit for 3 reasons.

1.it's better for you
2.Non-smokers (they say) heal faster and with less complications
3.Smokers are more likely to have complications from anesthesia, and they have to cover their butts from lawsuits.

Good luck, and I wish you less pain.