Will I Have Necrosis if I Stop Smoking 1 Month Prior to a Tummy Tuck?

Thank you for the question. You should be free of any type of nicotine product for at least 4 to 6 weeks prior to tummy tuck surgery. This holds true for other plastic surgical procedures that involve flaps, such as facelifting and breast lifting 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... more

Thanks for your question - As you've read from the other surgeons, smoking is a serious risks for complications. In addition to umbilical or superior abdominal flap necrosis, you also risk anesthesia complications including pneumonia. Usually a month is enough time to begin to minimize your risk. Remember, this doesn't only mean stopping smoking but avoiding nicotine gum, the patch or other sources of nicotine which can contribute to problems. Also, be sure to have a plan for avoiding... more

Smoking is known to increase the risks of poor healing in a tummy tuck procedure. The complications seen are often separation of the wound edges, though can be as severe as spotty areas in the lower abdomen where the skin and tissue dies because of the decrease in the oxygen reaching the skin. Complications such as these are very rare in non-smokers. The same such risks apply to patients seeking facelift as well. Complete cessation of smoking one month before, and continued hopeful... more

Dear Puddin0 No one can guarantee you will not have skin slough if you don't smoke, but you will greatly increase your chances of an assortment of complications if you do smoke so the longer you are off cigarettes the greater the chance of a better result with fewer complications. Discuss this with your plastic surgeon and good luck on your surgery. Steven Schuster MD FACS

Anyone undergoing a TT has some risk of necrosis. Smoking definitely increases the chance for necrosis. In fact, I will not perform a TT on an active smoker. I think that if you do not smoke for 1 month prior to surgery, you will significantly decrease the chances of necrosis, but again that risk can never be entirely removed.

Any procedure that undermines the skin to obtain the result (tummy tuck, breast lift, and fecelift) carry the risk of skin death and delayed healing. Smoking increases this risk becasue the nicotine constricts blood flow. It is the nicotine, not the smoke, that is the problem so gums, pathes and second hand smoke are also bad. By stopping for a month at least you have taken your risk down but it is never zero.

First, anyone can get some necrosis with a tummy tuck procedrue. The risks increase under certain conditions like smoking. The smoking decreases the blood flow and that is what is needed for good healing and keeping the skin and fat alive. One month should be sufficient to help minimize the risks of necrosis BUT, you need to stay smokeless(incliuding second hand smoke) for one month after tyhe surgery also. That is the most critical time.

Smoking increases the risks of decreased blood flow to the the skin in any surgery that involves raising, pulling, and tucking. Stopping smoking 1 month before surgery will improve your chances and also decrease your chance of pulmonary problems, however, the damage of years of smoking does not go away in your blood vessels. Talk to your surgeon regarding his/her thoughts on smokers. Sometimes a slightly more conservative tuck may be warranted, but your chance of complications still... more

Stopping your nicotine use (in any form) a month prior to surgery lowers your chances of necrosis, but it can still happen. Even former smokers who have quit are still at increased risk of healing complications. Decisions in surgery, such as how much to loosen the skin before removing the excess, and whether or not to do liposuction are also important. Overly-aggressive surgery is certainly one reason necrosis can happen.

I BELIEVE what you are asking is an assurance that if you stopped smoking (and ALL other intake of nicotine, gum, second hand etc), COULD you still have flap death (necrosis) or wound complications. The answer is, it would be much less likely but it would never be 100% assured. After all, this complication may be seen in people who do not smoke. But it is seen in alarming numbers in smokers (diabetics, autoimmune diseases etc). The LONGER a period of no smoking that you can put between... more