Breast Lift: Q&A

Ask a Question

Should Breast Lift and Augmentation Be Postponed Because of Smoking?

I just quit smoking. My Breast lift and Breast implant surgery is in 9 days. Should I postpone my surgery?

Tags:

breasts female smoking

Comment on this

12 Doctor Answers | Asked by cdo in nc

Doctor Answers (12)
Community Comments (0)

Surgical Timing after Smoking Stopped

The quick answer is that you will lower your risk of complications if you stop smoking at least a few months prior to surgery so you might want to consider rescheduling. Another way of putting this is: "Tell me, do you feel lucky?" Most experts unanimously agree that smoking increases the rate of breast augmentation surgical complications significantly. Just about all plastic surgeons strongly recommend women to stop smoking and all nicotine products well in... more

Smoking before Breast Augmentation/Lifting?

You should be free of any type of nicotine product for at least 4 to 6 weeks prior to breast augmentation/ mastopexy surgery. This holds true for other plastic surgical procedures that involve flaps, such as facelift thing and tummy tuck surgery. Nicotine behaves as a vasoconstrictor of blood vessels thereby decreasing blood flow to tissues ( that need to receive blood flow to heal after surgery). A decrease in this blood flow may result in wound healing problems... more

Smoking and surgery

I do not like to operate on smoker's because of the increased risk of significant complications. It is best to stop 3-4 weeks prior and stay off during the recovery periond for 3-4 weeks.

Steven Wallach, MD

13 reviews

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

You might also like...

Real Stories

Breast Lift with Implant - San Jose, CR

I am so pleased with my results. I wanted my breasts to look how they did prior to having...

Before + After Photos

View 2328 Breast Lift photos

Complications from smoking increase significantly for breast augmentation and breast lift

Hi, You should definitely postpone your surgery. At the minimum, you should discontinue tobacco use for at least 4 weeks prior to surgery. Why? Nicotine and other chemicals in cigarettes significantly increase the risk of wound healing complications. In combination with breast lift, which involves significant undermining and tightening of breast tissue, and breast implant placement, which puts pressure on the undersurface of the breast skin, complications from tobacco usage can be... more

Avoid smoking about one month prior to Aug/Masto

Smoking increases the risks of surgery. Healing in particular is adversely affected in smokers. There are several different types of breast lift. Most involve creating skin flaps that are sewen together under the breasts. This is usually where the healing problems occur. Almost everyone agrees that smoking can cause healing problems. It is not clear, however, how long to stop smoking prior to having a procedure. I think many plastic surgeons suggest stopping a month before surgery. I... more

Avoid smoking for four weeks before augmentation/mastopexy

I do not believe that 9 days off nicotine is enough time before an augmentation/lift done at the same time. I do not know what incisions are planned, but the more incisions and skin removal, the higher your risk. Postponing the surgery for an additional 20 days would give you 4 weeks off cigarettes/nicotine and I would strongly advise you to postpone. There is no upside to proceeding and there is a major potential downside.

Breast Lifing, Augmentation, Recovery

Deear Cdo There is increased risk with smokers in all surgeries. Even with cesation of smoking you have an elevated risk over non- smokers. There is no definitive prescribed timeline for reduction of risk. Splitting up the surgery into 2 procedures/days is an option. With Warm Regards, Trevor M Born MD

Smoking and surgery

Patients to refrain from ANy exposure to ANY tobacco product for at least 2 weeks before and after surgery. The more invasive or complicated a surgery is where blood supply can be compromised to an are of the surgery, such as the nipple or breast incisions, the greated the risk of complications. These complications, as I'm sure your plastic surgeon has told you, can include poor wound healing, increased risk of infection up to the loss of your nipple(s). I would discuss this with you... more

Smoking & Augmentation with Breast Lift

If you do not resume smoking, it is probably safe to proceed with your surgery. However, combined augmentation/mastopexy always carries a risk greater than either procedure alone and many plastic surgeons will not perform these at the same time. A single cigarette post-operatively could possibly cause problems with healing or even tissue necrosis.

Breat lift/augmentationin a smoker

If you can't stop smoking both before and after for the requisite time, then do not do the procedure. It is to your benefit to maximize the safety of the procedure. There are risks involved in healthy patients and non-smokers regardless. Those risks goes up significantly with smokers. Although your surgeon may take the risk, the burden is on you!

Doctors will not see your comments on their answers. If you'd like to follow up, please go here to ask another question.

Comments (0)

Ask a Question

These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.