Had a Septoplasty 1 Week Ago and Had 2 Cigarettes Today, Will This Be a Serious Problem?

In general, you will want to avoid smoking at least 6 weeks before and 6 weeks after surgery. Nicotine itself is a vasoconstrictor. When vasoconstriction takes place, surface area inside the blood vessels decreases. This results in poor blood flow and a rise in blood pressure. In effect, healing is greatly compromised. I would highly recommend refraining from any additional smoking, as it can have a negative impact on your healing. I hope this helps, and I wish you the best of luck... more

The nicotine in cigarettes impairs healing and impairs nasal clearance. The nose is highly vascular and usually heals despite factors like smoking. Therefore, being a smoker does not exclude you from having rhinoplasty or septoplasty and you will most likely heal as expected. However, you may prolong your healing period. Studies have shown septoplasty to be less effective in smokers because of the effect the cigarettes have to impede natural clearance of mucous in the... more