I am having surgery in 4 days. Can a smoking patch hurt me?

Using tobacco brings a significant risk of cancer, stroke, heat attack, etc. From a Plastic Surgery standpoint it is a vasoconstrictor. Wound healing is all about getting oxygen and needed entities to the wound. It is well known that patients who smoke have a tremendous increase in their rate of serious complications, (infections, wounds falling apart, etc.). Nicotine is the main vasoconstrictor, so getting a patch or lozenge of nicotine won't help the vasoconstriction. Best to be off the tobacco/nicotine entirely before surgery. Please be honest with your Board Certified Plastic Surgeon. Together you can make a plan to quit and proceed with surgery. The amount of time between quitting and surgery will depend on the Plastic Surgeon and the procedure.

Nicotine in any form (gum, patch, vape, or any other form) can have a bad effect on your healing from plastic surgery. This is especially true in surgeries like tummy tuck, breast lift, and facelift.My advice is to have patients quit all forms of nicotine at least 2 weeks prior to surgery. Talk specifically with your surgeon about what you should do.Best Wishes,Dr LoMonaco

I ask my patients to stop smoking at least 1 month before surgery. Even 1 puff of a cigarette will cause the small blood vessels to clamp down which will decrease blood flow to certain areas. In order to heal well after surgery one wants as much blood supply to the area as possible so you can imagine how smoking can delay or even negatively affect the healing process. The unfortunate thing is that nicotine patches create this same effect! The best thing to do is to call your plastic surgeon right away and inform him that you have been using the patch. See what his thoughts are. I hope this helps.Ankur Mehta MD

The nicotine in tobacco products as well as nicotine patches and nicotine gums impairs wound healing.  All nicotine products should be stopped prior to surgery.  You should notify your Plastic Surgeon of your nicotine patch usage.  He or she may advise you to postpone your surgery.  

A simple question back - why would you do anything that might take away from the result you are trying to achieve?most board certified plastic surgeons will counsel you on the risks of any form of nicotinegood luck

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.

Hello,Thank you for your questions. Nicotene patches pose the same issues for healing that cigarettes do unfortunately. As for pre op supplements, you really need to discuss them with your Plastic Surgeon. They should know what you are taking and discuss considerations with you.All the best

This forum is an excellent resource for patients to become informed on plastic surgery.  It should NOT however be used to steal pre- or postoperative care instructions away from your chosen surgeon who knows you and your procedure best.  To that end, it is CRITICAL that you relay this information to your surgeon to ensure the safest course and ultimately the best, most long-lasting results.  That being said, the nicotine patch will still subject you to greater risk of wound healing complications due to the effect that nicotine (whether from smoking or from the patch) has on blood flow.  Blood flow is crucial to wound healing as it provides nutrients to healing areas.  When this is compromised, wounds may not heal appropriately.  This is more of an issue in some surgeries (eg. facelift, tummy tuck, breast reduction) than others (eg. breast augmentation) but is far from ideal in any scenario.  As far as supplements, each surgeon will have his or her own list of things they would like their patient to avoid if possible.  Reach out to your surgeon to make sure that he or she is on board. 

Nicotine constricts small blood vessels and which carry oxygen, an essential element in wound healing. It is best to stop all nicotine products several weeks before surgery. This is something that should be addressed with your surgeon.Good luck!

All surgeries carry risk. In order to minimize healing complications and other possible risks, you should maintain a healthy nutritional status and avoid anything that could affect blood flow to the area of surgery. Nicotine patches cause constriction of the small blood vessels which carry the oxygen and essential building blocks to heal surgical wounds. It is important that you discuss both your diet and nutrition plan as well as your patch before undergoing surgery to avoid any potential issues.