Why should I stop smoking before going under the knife?
It is commonly acknowledged that tobacco harms health. During your preliminary consultation with the doctor, you will be asked to provide personal information pertaining to your cosmetic surgery; among those, you will be asked whether or not you smoke.
If the answer is positive, your surgeon will ask you to stop for a certain period before your surgery. It is very important that the patient follow this recommendation and take it seriously as tobacco and cosmetic surgery do not combine well.
Nowadays, diseases and health complications caused by tobacco are old news to everyone: cardiovascular diseases, chronic breathing problems, strokes, heart diseases and other complications that can be more serious than the latter. If the patient already suffers from one of the these conditions, this can present a contraindication to the surgery and the latter will therefore be too risky to perform.
In addition, tobacco accelerates skin aging and causes wrinkles due to the deterioration of elastic fibers. A smoker’s skin is always greyish, less radiant and ages quicker than that of a non-smoker. Cutaneous quality will be deteriorated, less hydrated and scarring will not heal properly on the skin. Quitting tobacco will reverse the latter and help the patient undergo their cosmetic surgery with no complications and in the best conditions possible.
Indeed, nicotine may cause the constriction of arteries. The latter are responsible for the the flow of oxygen to all parts of the body. Blood flow becomes exceedingly less important in the bodies of smokers, hence the reason why post-surgical scarring does not heal properly and may even result in complications later on.
Regardless of whether the patient wants to undergo a rhinoplasty, an abdominoplasty or a breast enhancement surgery, the surgeon’s recommendations remain the same because the risks are equally important. Scar healing defaults engenders a heavier recovery and a high risk of complications.
Risks of bruising, swelling, phlebitis, pulmonary embolism (due to the constriction of arteries), and post-operative infections are twice more likely to happen for regular consumers of tobacco.
If the answer is positive, your surgeon will ask you to stop for a certain period before your surgery. It is very important that the patient follow this recommendation and take it seriously as tobacco and cosmetic surgery do not combine well.
Smoking before the procedure
All cosmetic surgeons agree on stopping the consumption of tobacco for at least a month before the scheduled surgery.Nowadays, diseases and health complications caused by tobacco are old news to everyone: cardiovascular diseases, chronic breathing problems, strokes, heart diseases and other complications that can be more serious than the latter. If the patient already suffers from one of the these conditions, this can present a contraindication to the surgery and the latter will therefore be too risky to perform.
In addition, tobacco accelerates skin aging and causes wrinkles due to the deterioration of elastic fibers. A smoker’s skin is always greyish, less radiant and ages quicker than that of a non-smoker. Cutaneous quality will be deteriorated, less hydrated and scarring will not heal properly on the skin. Quitting tobacco will reverse the latter and help the patient undergo their cosmetic surgery with no complications and in the best conditions possible.
Smoking after the surgery
It is recommended not to smoke for a month after the surgery as tobacco may cause poor oxygenation of skin tissues and therefore does not help with the healing process.Indeed, nicotine may cause the constriction of arteries. The latter are responsible for the the flow of oxygen to all parts of the body. Blood flow becomes exceedingly less important in the bodies of smokers, hence the reason why post-surgical scarring does not heal properly and may even result in complications later on.
Regardless of whether the patient wants to undergo a rhinoplasty, an abdominoplasty or a breast enhancement surgery, the surgeon’s recommendations remain the same because the risks are equally important. Scar healing defaults engenders a heavier recovery and a high risk of complications.
Risks of bruising, swelling, phlebitis, pulmonary embolism (due to the constriction of arteries), and post-operative infections are twice more likely to happen for regular consumers of tobacco.
