Certainly not. It is absolutely essential never to smoke again. If the
patient intends to continue smoking it is pointless performing the bypass
operation because it will almost certainly fail. It is also important to use the
legs regularly, to breathe good air on country walks and to avoid inhaling
other people’s cigarette smoke. A healthy diet and the prevention of
overweight are necessary. Regular check-ups will probably be required to
see how the operation has worked and to assess for other forms of arterial
disease.