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Quitting Smoking Before MACS Lift

asked 1 year ago by Crocker hines in New York
Latest answer by Larry S. Nichter, MD, MS
Question viewed 578 times
Tags: smoking

I Am Having Macslift in 3 Weeks. I quit smoking 4 months ago. I have been having ONE PUFF of cigarette for last 4 weeks. that is all i have had. Is this ok? I will remain NICOTINE free from now on. My macslift is in 3 weeks.

27 answers to Quitting Smoking Before MACS Lift

+2

Smoking and Facelift

Smoking is a tough habit to kick.  However, smoking has some serious harmful effects including significantly increasing your risk of poor healing, poor scarring, and skin necrosis from cosmetic surgery.  I recommend my patients be tobacco free for at least 4 weeks before surgery.   many surgeons perform a urine cotinine (nicotine) test to make sure the nicotine effects have washed out of your system (and you haven't been sneaking in a smoke here and there).  I... more
C. Bob Basu, MD

Houston Plastic Surgeon
+1

Quitting Smoking before MACS Lift important

Being completely nicotine free for 4 months is great and significantly decreases your risk of post operative complications. from a MACS lift. One puff in 4 weeks is probably insignificant if in fact this is a true amount.
Larry S. Nichter, MD, MS

Orange County Plastic Surgeon
+1

Smoking and lift

Smoking and any kind of lift don’t mix together as the risk of poor healing, scarring, and even loss of skin is dramatically increased. Having said that you should be OK if you just had 1 puff but i would share that information with your surgeon before surgery
Sam Naficy, MD

Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Smoking dangers with face lifts

I have performed face lifts for over 20 years and here are the issues, IMHO with smoking and a face lift: The length of smoking and amount dictates your bloods ability to carry oxygen in your red blood cells (RBC). Oxygen carried by the RBC's is what's required, after your face lift, to heal the skin and tissues. If compromised, the skin can die resulting in unsightly scarring. If you have decreased oxygen carrying capacity, quitting smoking 3-4 weeks... more
Francis R. Palmer, III, MD

Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Total abstinence from Nicotine 5 weeks before Facelift is required if not serious problems can occur

Nicotine, even one puff can cause the blood vessels in your facial skin to spasm the result of which can be inadequate blood flow to your skin after a Facelift. This can result is skin loss and very severe scarring. It is not worth the risk. Even after you stop smoking damage to your blood vessels from years of smoking has set you up for problems. Don't take chances-re schedule your Facelift until you have no nicotine in any form (including gum) for at least 5 weeks before a Facelift more
Brooke R. Seckel, MD

Boston Plastic Surgeon

www.drseckel.com

+1

Smoke free

I ask my patients to quite smoking 8 weeks prior to a surgical procedure. Smoking will increase the risks of post-operative complications. You've come this far, why not just quit? Best of luck!
Michael Sullivan, MD

Columbus Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Smoking "just one puff" & facelift

I ask all my facelift patients to be completely nicotine free for 8 weeks prior to a facelift, tummy tuck or breast lift.  It's well documented that smokers, even those who have 1-2 cigarettes per day, have a significantly increased complication rate.  And since having a facelift is something you're spending your hard-earned money on, it would silly to potentially jeopardize your outcome, for a couple of puffs of a cigarette....
Thomas Fiala, MD

Altamonte Springs Plastic Surgeon
+1

Smoking prior to facelift

This is elective cosmetic surgery that you are paying hard earned money for.  You owe it to yourself and your pocketbook to take the appropriate preoperative steps to a safe and healthy recovery.   If you cannot completely refrain from cigarette smoking for 4 weeks before and after your procedure, you owe it to yourself and surgeon to promptly delay your procedure until you can quit smoking.   It is not worth the risk to your health to take shortcuts in this manner... more
Paul S. Gill, MD

Houston Plastic Surgeon
+1

Smoking prior to facelift surgery

As a general rule, I ask all my patients to remain Nicotine-Free for 1 month prior to surgery, and 1 month after surgery.  Nicotine in any form will have negative effects on wound healing.  You will need to be honest with yourself and your surgeon with regards to your use prior to the procedure, as you results will depend on it.  Good Luck..Dr. Corrado
Anthony Corrado, DO

Philadelphia Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.dranthonycorrado.com

+1

Facelift and smoking

I would avoid smoking completely prior to a facelift. This recommendation is for abot 3-4 weeks prior and 3-4 weeks after surgery.
Steven Wallach, MD

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon
+1

Is smoking OK prior to face lift? Is drinking OK prior to driving?

I know you are looking for approval and I would like to give it to make you feel better.  However, If I asked you what you would say if your child asked if it is OK to have two drinks and drive home? I'm sure you're answer would be NO! Well what if they asked about 1 drink? Just because you make it home doesn't mean it is the proper thing to do. However, may people do.
Otto Joseph Placik, MD

Chicago Plastic Surgeon
+1

Stop all smoking before a facelift.

You should be congratulated on your smoking reduction, and you are only one small step from being completely off cigarettes.  Since smoking or use of any nicotine product can have such detrimental consequences for a facelift patient, it is safest for you to be completely off all nicotine products for 3 weeks before and 3 weeks after your surgery.  A uneventful surgery is what you would like so no sense gambling by taking that one puff.  See if your surgeon would put the... more
Jeffrey M. Darrow, MD

Boston Plastic Surgeon
+1

Smoking and Facelifts

The piece of information you should know is that the nicotine in one cigarette will have an affect on your blood vessels for eighteen hours after you smoke. You should stop smoking altogether to avoid the potential risks cigarette smoking adds to your procedure. In a facelift this can be a very significant risk with resultant severe scarring.
Paul Vitenas, Jr., MD

Houston Plastic Surgeon
+1

Smoking before facelift

One cigarette in four weeks will not affect the results from a facelift. It is important to stay off of nicotine and cigarettes because the nicotine affects vasoconstriction and blood vessels. In addition, the level of carbon monoxide is higher in cigarette smokers than nonsmokers. Both of these issues can lead to real healing problems and necrosis of skin flaps behind the ears after a facelift.  
William Portuese, MD

Seattle Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.seattlefacial.com

+1

Smoking and facelift

Smoking significantly increases the chances of having complications with any surgery, especially with facelifts.  For an elective cosmetic surgery, you should do everything you can to prevent complications that could compromise your result and healing.  You should definitely let your surgeon know that you have been smoking - keeping any medical information from your surgeon will only hurt you!  In general, you should be nicotine free. Dr. Cat Begovic
Catherine Huang-Begovic, MD

Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

When having surgery you should definitely stop smoking...

Quitting smoking completely is highly recommended when having surgery.  This will help your healing process go smoothly with a lesser risk of complications.  A minimal amount of nicotine use at this point before your surgery should be OK, but you should stop completely now.  Any nicotine at all can constrict blood vessels and increase possible complications.  I'd call your surgeon to discuss this information with him and see what his advice would be... more
Andrew Miller, MD

Edison Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.associatesinplasticsurgery.com

+1

Smoking and facelifts

Regardless of the kind of facelift you are having there is undermining of the skin and this deprives it of some of its usual blood supply.  Nicotine in any form (even second hand smoke) can further deprive the skin of it's needed blood flow and can lead to skin death and scars.  Stay away from all nicotine from here on and let your doctor know exactly where you are with this.
Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS

Seattle Plastic Surgeon
+1

Smoking Cessation before Facelift

In my practice, I have smokers sign a waver stating they will not smoke for 6 weeks before and after a Facelift.  Having 1 puff of a cigarette per day is certainly better than smoking a pack, but it is still suboptimal.  The fact is that your risk of having a complication like skin necrosis or adverse scarring is higher with any nicotine intake.  Take the opportunity to stop smoking completely to improve your general health and increase your chances of being satisfied... more
Stephen Prendiville, MD

Fort Myers Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.drprendiville.com

+1

You'll do fine

Dear Crocker, You’re doing a good job cutting your cigarettes to just a puff a day. Keep decreasing that to the day that you’re smoke free. May be your new face is a good incentive for you not to smoke any more. Good luck and good healing.  
Kevin Sadati, DO

Orange County Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Smoking Cessation before MACS Lift

Smoking will never enhance or accelerate healing after surgery. Take advantage of your tremendous effort over the last 4 months to stop smoking permanently.
Richard W. Fleming, MD

Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Facelift

Don't fool yourself. Smoking is a great risk that can make a safe and easy procedure  that will make you happy for years a real nightmare. in addition, smoking with all the harm that it does, makes you look older, feel tired and listless, and less youthful. Facelifts are great operations that provide great results for the right patient, otherwise, they can be a horrid experience for both patient and surgeon if you smoke.
Srdjan Ostric, MD

Chicago Plastic Surgeon
+1

Smoking before MACS facelift

Definitely do not smoke at all for the next three weeks. Regardless of the facelift technique that is employed by the surgeon, nicotine will impair wound healing, and can lead to postoperative complications. Congratulations on quitting smoking!
Ryan Greene, MD, PhD

Fort Lauderdale Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Quitting Smoking Before MACS Lift

I feel that is fine but you really should check and follow your chosen surgeon's advise not ours. We are doing your operation. If you were my personal patient I would be OK with the "one puff" scenario. Best from MIAMI Dr. Darryl J. Blinski, 305 598 0091
Darryl J. Blinski, MD

Miami Plastic Surgeon
+1

Quit smoking 6 weeks before a facelift

Congratulations on how well you have done with your smoking cessation, however now you must completely stop; even the one puff is getting nicotene into your system. You do not want to risk loss of skin due to blood vessel constriction from the nicotene. If you completely stop now, you should be OK for your MACS lift in 3 weeks. Do yourself a favor, don't start smoking again after your surgery--EVER--- but at least for the 6 weeks postop. Stopping smoking  will help your maintain... more
Theda C. Kontis, MD

Baltimore Facial Plastic Surgeon
+1

Smoking and MACS Lift

Although the MACS Lift is safer than other facelift techniques, it still has risks that smoking increases. I use the MACS Lift technique exclusively, and I require my patients to quit smoking 2 months before surgery. If you stop completely now, you should be OK, however. By the way, one puff a day is inexcusable. Find something else to do with your hand and mouth, like chewing on a stir stick of toothpick.  
Robert T. Buchanan, MD

Highlands Plastic Surgeon
+1

Face & Neck Lift in Smokers

You are certainly on the right track to a safer facelift experience. If you are just having 1 puff per day for the last 4 weeks, then this should be able to quit in preparation for something as important as a facelift. In MACS Lifting, a relatively wide skin flap is elevated. Normal healing depends on adequate blood supply to this skin which is compromised by smoking. Although you will be not quite in the same group as non-smokers, odds are relatively good. Definitely, be upfront with... more
Frank P. Fechner, MD

Worcester Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.drfechner.com

+1

Smoking and MACS facelift

You will find that most surgeons will not risk operating on smokers. You will be fine if you do not smoke at all from now on, stay away from second hand smoke, nicotine gum or patch. You need to abide by the same rules for one month postoeratively. The question is, if you stayed off cigarettes for 4 months, why go back? It is bad for your lungs, heart, bladder, colon and ages your skin. Since you are getting a facelift to turn back time, why would you want to go back to speed up the aging... more
George Marosan, MD

Bellevue Plastic Surgeon

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