COULD GIVING UP SMOKING BEFORE SURGERY REALLY IMPROVE MY RESULTS?

WRITTEN BY FULVIO URSO-BAIARDA CO-FOUNDER AND PLASTIC SURGEON AT ETERNO 360, ETON, BERKSHIRE

Let’s face it – if you’re going to put your body through the process of surgery, it makes sense that you would want to achieve the best possible result. If you’ve been advised to stop smoking prior to your surgery but have wondered why - there are several reasons why your nicotine addiction may prevent you from healing properly, or, having your surgery done all together.

Reasons to Stop Smoking Before Surgery

You May Be Refused Treatment – Some plastic surgeons, including me, are unwilling to perform elective (non-emergency) surgery on any active smoker as it increases surgical complications. Smoking can reduce blood supply to the tissues, worsening scar healing, increasing the risk of an infection and leading to wound breakdown and sometimes further surgery. This effect is improved even if you just stop smoking for a few weeks before and after surgery.

You Could Prevent Proper Healing – If you smoke, your wound will take a lot longer to heal. This increases the chances of an infection and extends your recovery time considerably. By giving up smoking, you’re giving your body the best chance of healing well.

You Could End Up Quitting Smoking Altogether – Though your main focus may be to just give up smoking for surgery, this could lead to you quitting altogether. Going without cigarettes in the lead up to your surgery may be enough to show you that quitting is possible. It’s a fantastic time to begin the process of giving up smoking for good, which has health benefits that go well beyond wound healing, to reducing the risk of stroke, heart attack and poor circulation.

If you are thinking about plastic surgery and would like to discuss your transformation, please feel free to contact us– we would love to hear from you!