Safety Tips Before Cosmetic Surgery: Stop Smoking
March 26th, 2019
Safety Tips: Stop Smoking. Patient preparation for surgery is essential to make the post-operative course of recovery safer for patients. The nicotine in tobacco products and also found in “stop smoking” products makes blood vessels smaller as a result of the action on the blood vessels. Many plastic surgery procedures (face lift, tummy tuck, breast reduction) have the possibility for increased complications with this reduced blood flow to the skin, resulting in risk of skin loss and pronounced scarring is increased. Smoking tobacco or weed also increases the chance of coughing after surgery. Coughing can lead to unwanted bleeding, never a good thing. It is best to quit all nicotine-containing products two to four weeks before surgery. Always check with your surgeon before surgery.
Why Stop Smoking Before Surgery?
February 27th, 2014
The nicotine in tobacco products, including smokeless tobacco products and the nicotine found in “stop-smoking” aids, makes blood vessels smaller as a result of its action on the blood vessel muscle. Many plastic surgery procedures we do (such as facelift, tummy tuck, breast reduction) reduce blood flow to the skin. The risk of skin loss and bad scarring is increased ten-fold when these two effects are combined. Smoking also increases the chance of coughing after surgery. Bearing down to cough may lead to unwanted bleeding, causing needless complications during recovery. It is best to quit all nicotine-containing products two to four weeks before surgery to help allow for a trouble-free course of recovery following surgery.
My best advice: Follow all your Before and After surgery instructions and call your doctor if you have any questions. Your surgeon will give you both verbal and written instructions. You will heal better having followed them.
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