Smoking tobacco of any kind puts the plastic surgery patient at risk for severe complications. The goal of any board certified plastic surgeon is to minimize risk to our patients, especially for elective cosmetic surgery. Most patients understand this fact and will work with me to stop smoking, including referral to smoking cessation clinics, their primary doctor, or holistic approaches, such as acupuncture.
I have had several patients over the years come back to me, with their significant other, and thank me for helping them to stop smoking. One husband said, "The surgery was worth it to get my wife to stop smoking alone; I have tried everything! It has been more than a year and she looks great and does not smoke anymore!"
Plastic Surgery can be a powerful thing if patients do their homework; safety comes first!
