Smokers are at significantly more risks of complications during and after plastic surgery. Here are the reasons why:
Cigarettes contain not only nicotine but other harmful substances such as carbon monoxide and cyanide. These chemicals cause narrowing of blood vessels that carry oxygen and nutrients necessary for tissue healing after surgery. In fact, a single cigarette can deprive tissues from essential oxygen for up to eight hours!
The chemicals also cause interfere with the essential regenerative cells that are crucial for wound healing after surgery. Blood supply and regenerative cells are essential for healing for all procedures, and any interruption of these processes from smoking can greatly impact healing from all procedures but especially large incisions in tummy tuck surgery, breast surgery and facelifts.
Smoking causes long term lung changes leading to coughing and chest infections after surgery. These can impact recovery post-surgery and increase risks of bleeding from prolonged coughing thereby delaying overall recovery.
It is for these reasons that we recommend no smoking for at least four weeks before and after the surgery. Cutting back on smoking still poses a significant risk and surgery cannot be performed until all smoking has stopped for four weeks.
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