Is 12 Days off Smoking Long Enough for Breast Lift and Implants?

You likely have not smoked for a long enough period prior to surgery to go along without adding to risks. Although all procedures have a certain amount of risk, remember that you should not smoke for a while after surgery as well to help the healing process. The suitability of the breast lift procedure and any specific risks
may be determined during your consultation.

Hi and thank you for your question.Congrats on quitting smoking! I have my patients stop smoking three weeks before and after surgery. Twelve days  should be fine, but check with your surgeon for his/her recommendations and instrucutions. Every surgeon has a different protocol. Best of luck!

Thank you for your question. Smoking before or after your surgery can increase your risk of developing complications including infection and wound healing problems. I tell my patients that it is ideal to stop a couple months ahead of surgery and then for a couple months after surgery.

It is a good idea to stay away from cigarettes for at least 2 weeks after surgery, although it is better to stop for longer if possible to facilitate your recovery because you are at a higher risk of experiencing skin loss and poor wound healing.However, you should ask your surgeon for their advice, as they may have different guidelines.

Hello! Thank you for your question! The issue with nicotine is that it also acts as a vasoconstrictor, clamping down of blood vessels. Blood supply is always of great concern during any surgical procedure, but especially in such a procedure as a mastopexy where the viability of the nipple-areolar complex is obviously important. Since the vascularity to the area is already tenuous since it will be raised by cutting around the area, maximizing blood flow to the tissue is critical. Typically, we recommend at least 6 weeks of smoking cessation prior to any surgical procedure. Nicotine always increases the risk for infection, nipple necrosis, and wound complications, as well as other health consequences. I would discuss this with your surgeon prior to your procedure. Hope that this helps! Best wishes!

Smoking Effects on Breast Augmentation
Most experts unanimously agree that smoking increases the rate of  breast augmentation surgical complications significantly. Just about all plastic surgeons strongly recommend  women  to stop smoking and all nicotine products well in advance of breast augmentation with breast implants.  Many plastic surgeons recommend stopping all tobacco products several months prior to surgery.
Here is the reason why: the nicotine in cigarettes and other tobacco products (including Nicorette gum, patches, etc) is a vasoconstrictor, meaning it makes the Smoking is a significant multiplier of many potential complications following surgery and breast augmentation with implants are no exception. Nicotine from smoking causes blood vessels to vasoconstrict ( tighten up). Over time, these constricted arteries and capillaries deliver less blood to the breast tissue which is needed for normal healing. Smokers therefore have an increased incidence of higher likelihood of complications such as infection, and in particular capsular contracture (hardening and distortion of the implants). General complications of surgery such as blood clots, anesthetic problems such as pneumonia are also increased.
A scientific article in the Archives of Internal Medicine indicated that, among all forms of surgery, quitting smoking eight weeks prior was never associated with an increased risk of complications.
In young patients you will probably statistically avoid these complications, why tempt fate by increasing your odds that something bad will happen.On a long term basis, smoking also causes accelerated aging of the skin and loss of elasticity. Hopefully these reasons will help give you the will power and courage to stop smoking.

 

Althouhgh breast augmentation is a relatviely lower risk procedure when it comes to tobacco use, it is generally advised that smokers refrain for a minimum of 2-4 weeks prior to surgery to lower their risks.  

I would say no. It is recommended by the plastic surgeon society and the literature that 2 weeks is what is needed. But I would recommend a minimum of 2 weeks, really want 4 weeks of smoke free, not even 1 cigarette.
It is a risk, you may be fine you may not be. It is difficult to predict who will have problems and who will not.
Hope that helps.

In general, it is recommended to quit smoking completely for 2-12 weeks prior to breast surgery, or any plastic surgery procedure. This is an elective procedure, and the longer you can wait prior to surgery, the fewer wound healing complications you will have.
Twelve days is very close to 2 weeks, so this is not completely inappropriate, but if you absolutely want to improve your chances of having a good outcome, waiting longer is best. Also, related to breast implants, the incidence of capsular contracture (hard scar tissue around the implants) is higher in smokers. This is yet another reason to stop smoking several weeks before and several weeks AFTER the surgery.

The short answer is 2 weeks is typically what is required, but there are two issues to be aware of. One is the chronic effect on blood vessels from a history of smoking, which impairs blood flow which in turn affects wound healing. The acute effect is related to the fact that nicotine is a vasoconstrictor, meaning that it causes the capillaries that deliver blood and oxygen to the tissues are squeezed down. With some operations, specifically breast lift, tummy tuck, and facelift, the skin needs to be undermined so that it can be stretched into the desired shape; this reduces blood flow already. So nicotine can cut it off completely and the tissue dies! That is why avoiding any exposure to nicotine both before and after surgery is important. Most of all, you want to get past the withdrawl craving before surgery. Congratulations on your commitment to quitting and all the best with your operation!