Rhinoplasty and secondhand smoke - How long should I take off work before and after surgery to ensure the best possible outcome?

Question

I work in a private bar that sells cigars and allows smoking inside. The secondhand smoke is extremely heavy and my nose is usually very stuffy for 12 hours after I get off work. I want a rhinoplasty but am concerned about the heavy secondhand smoke effecting my surgery and healing process. How long should I take off work before and after surgery to ensure the best possible outcome?

Stephen Kleid, MBBS, FRACS · Answer

Firstly, I am a keen anti-smoking advocate - I hate smoking.
However, there is no problem for you to be exposed to smoke 2 weeks after your Rhinoplasty, which is about the usual time you would need off work anyway.
In fact, there is no proven deleterious effects on recovery from Sino-nasal surgery and Rhinoplasty from smoking - it just irritates the nose, but it won't affect healing of the inside of the nose, and certainly won't affect the shape of the nose after Rhinoplasty, nor the rate of healing.

Rhinoplasty and secondhand smoke - How long should I take off work before and after surgery to ensure the best possible outcome?

Answers (1)

More Rhinoplasty Questions

Rhinoplasty and secondhand smoke - How long should I take off work before and after surgery to ensure the best possible outcome?

Answers (1)

More Rhinoplasty Questions

Is it necessary to use steroid injections or is it possible to allow time to heal swelling?

Why is my philtrum too short? (Photo)

Is it okay to drink vitamin c for those people who had a nose surgery 4 years before?