Why Smoking Affects Recovery after Surgery

Smoking is one habit that has shown to have multiple negative health consequences. At most practices today, there will often be a required period of smoking cessation prior to and after the operation.

Aside from the negative effects of tar and other harmful by products of smoking, nicotine can also greatly hinder the healing process. Common procedures that require this cool down period from smoking are; Liposuction (fat removal), Abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), Gynecomastia (male breast reduction), Breast Surgery (breast implants), Rhinoplasty (nose alteration).

Ill effects of Nicotine that make it necessary to avoid

Nicotine can affect blood flow, and this can affect healing time. If tissues are unable to get the oxygen and materials needed to properly mend and repair, it not only increases the time it takes to heal, but also carries a higher chance of scarring. Smokers are informed of this increased scarring risk and given assistance to cease smoking. Cessation is important not only after, but before as well.

Giving the body a month to purge itself of the toxins from cigarettes allows it to begin recovering faster as well. Nicotine can also have negative impacts on blood pressure, making it potentially harder to control during the operation.

Complications that Smoking can create during sedation

When it comes to being put under for in depth plastic surgery, breathing complications caused by smoking can be fatal. Smoker’s cough is one issue that is caused by irritation to the lungs that causes increased mucous production.

Excess phlegm can trigger spasms and occlusions that can cause increased chance of breathing complications while being sedated. The drugs used to put one under for surgery can cause tissues and muscle to relax that normally keep the airways cleared.

For many smokers who consider cosmetic surgery, their surgeon will discuss with them the unique concerns they have regarding smoking. The irritation and excess mucous can build up to the point that patient’s airways become blocked and require extra treatment. An increased need to suction and manually clear these passages can lead to increased incidents of damage to the larynx and teeth.

Giving lungs time to recover and calm down from the irritation can greatly improve their performance and resistance to being occluded during an operation. The increases performance leads to better oxidation of the blood, which in turn increases the expedition of healing.