Should I be concerned about people vaping nicotine around me before surgery? Is secondhand vape a thing?

Congratulations on quitting nicotine before surgery. That was the best thing you could've done for healing and overall health. Secondhand exposure to vape (although lower levels of toxins) does still cause exposure. I would recommend not being around any secondhand source of nicotine until 4 weeks after surgery.

Typically, there is not as much smoke released with vaping and non-vapers are safer. However, ask him to go vape outside to be safer. Better yet, he needs to quit. Vaping is actually more harmful than smoking.