Effects of Smoking on Tummy Tuck Results?

Smoking skyrockets your risks of complications following tummy tuck -- poor healing, incisions opening up, skin necrosis, etc. In fact, I will not perform a tummy tuck (an elective procedure) in an active smoker. I make sure my patients have been tobacco free 4-6 weeks before surgery. We also check a urine nicotine test (cotinine) to make sure the nicotine effects are gone. It's often hard to kick the habit. I also recommend that a smoker see their primary care physician to get formal... more

Tummy tuck is an elective, in most cases non medically indicated surgery. There are risks associated with any operation and we as surgeons try to do everything possible to make those risks as small as possible. Smoking causes squeezing of the blood vessels. This decreases the blood flow to the healing tissues. Blood delivers oxygen and all the building blocks needed to heal the wound. Without perfect blood flow, your wound healing is compromised. You probably already know all the... more

Greengirl123- The disasterous effects of nicotine, in any form, on post-operative patients have been documented extensively in the Surgical Literature...not to mention the non-surgical literature as it pertains to cancer, respiratory disease, etc. Cosmetic surgery is REAL surgery. Tummy tucks are REAL cosmetic surgery. I am sure your physician discussed with you the risks. You are expending a significant amount time, effort and money on this procedure...Optimize your results with respect to imme more

There are countless answers about the dangers of nicotine and diminished skin blood flow that can lead to disaster in healing after a tummy tuck, breast lift or facelift. If you are serious about doing all you can to help keep yourself safe, you should be off all nicotine for a month before and a month after surgery.