Can't Stop Smoking Before my Rhinoplasty, is 2-3 Weeks Pre-Op Enough TIme?

asked 5 months ago by TheJoJo0o in Bahrain
Latest answer by Robert T. Buchanan, MD
Question viewed 318 times
Tags: risk, smoking cessation, timing

my surgery is on february 4th and my doctor told me I should atleast stop smoking a whole month before my surgery and after the surgery. I think I can handle not smoking after the surgery but I stopped smoking for just one day and I felt really depressed and bored. I heard that I should stop for atleast 2 weeks before the surgery but my doctor said I should stop for a month. so, why is it different with every doctor and what if I stopped smoking for just 2-3 weeks before my surgery,is it OK?

10 answers to Can't Stop Smoking Before my Rhinoplasty, is 2-3 Weeks Pre-Op Enough TIme?

Smoking before Rhinoplasty

Stopping smoking 2-3 weeks before a rhinoplasty is NOT enough time. Delay your surgery until you have stopped for a month at the very least. I, in fact, require 2 months. It takes that amount of time for the nicotine to be excreted and for your tissues to recover to a reasonable vascularity to make the procedure safe. You are doing this to improve your looks. If you have a complication and a part of your nose dies, the resulting problem will be hard if not impossible to repair and you will... more

Robert T. Buchanan, MD
Highlands Plastic Surgeon

Smoking and Rhinoplasty: Disaster

Smoking in the immediate period before Rhinoplasty brings one word to mind: Disaster. If you are willing to make the financial and time commitment to have an elective cosmetic surgical procedure, you should make the effort to stop smoking. Smoking is incredibly detrimental to wound healing and may leave you with less than predictable results.

Stephen Prendiville, MD
Fort Myers Facial Plastic Surgeon

www.drprendiville.com

Smoking and rhinoplasty

You dramatically increase your risk of wound healing problems if you smoke and have surgery. For an elective cosmetic procedure you should stop smoking COMPLETELY at LEAST a month before surgery. Considering the time and money you are investing in a cosmetic procedure you should take great pains to limit your exposure to risk. Do you want your surgeon to wash his/her hands before operating on you? Would you prefer to have your surgeon drunk or sober during the... more

Daniel Greenwald, MD
Tampa Plastic Surgeon

bayshoreplasticsurgery.com

Dead skin after surgery may give you your answer.

Do you really want to find out the hard way just how "late" you can stop a potentially disastrous cause of dead skin? Of course there is an exact answer as to how long before surgery you must absolutely quit smoking in order to avoid vasoconstriction that could lead to dead skin and exposed cartilage, and unsatisfactory reconstructive options after a disaster in healing. It's just that no one wants to "cut it so close" that one day more makes the difference between a... more

Richard H. Tholen, MD, FACS
Minneapolis Plastic Surgeon

Cigarettes and surgery

Surgery increases the risks of complications and I would not operate on you if you did not stop smoking at least 3-4 weeks prior to surgery. You should speak to your surgeon about his criteria.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Follow the advice given

It’s very imperative you follow your surgeon’s advice. It is critical for proper healing and your over all health. You need to speak with your surgeon about this as soon as you can. He/She may have advice to help you through this difficult time.

Philip Young, MD
Bellevue Facial Plastic Surgeon

Can't Stop Smoking Before my Rhinoplasty, is 2-3 Weeks Pre-Op Enough TIme?

You need to follow your Rhinoplasty Surgeons advice. I ask my Rhinoplasty patients to cut down after the surgery as the smoke seems to irritate the nose and prolong swelling and healing IMHO.

Francis R. Palmer, III, MD
Beverly Hills Facial Plastic Surgeon

Smoking and Rhinoplasty

Smoking can cause numerous problems with healing, infection and skin loss. If your doctor suggests (as they should) that you stop smoking, you should listen to their recommendations. The results could be disastrous if you do not follow directions. There are a number of tools available to help you stop smoking, but you should make every effort to stop and be honest with your surgeon for the best results. Best of luck, Vincent Marin, MD San Diego Plastic Surgeon more

Vincent P. Marin, MD
San Diego Plastic Surgeon

Smoking Before Rhinoplasty

Once you have picked a surgeon you want to work with you need to follow his advice. If you are having an "open" rhinoplasty the results of poor blood flow to the skin at the tip of the nose could leave you with disastrous results and you would have no one to blame but yourself. Follow your doctors instructions.

Ronald V. DeMars, MD
Portland Plastic Surgeon

Stopping smoking prior to rhinoplasty

While it is healthy and recommended for patients to stop smoking prior to surgery this is often not achievable. While each surgeon differs I ask my patients to quit smoking two to three weeks prior to surgery. With some surgeries this is more important then others. Rhinoplasty surgery is not affected as much by smoking as a facelift, tummy tuck, or breast reduction procedure. The nicotine causes vascular constriction and delays wound healing by not allowing the tissues proper circulation.... more