Very healthy, age 56, 5’6, 165lbs, do I need to cancel my surgery because of smoking?

Smoking affects healing and increases complications. It is particularly important to quit smoking for larger procedures such as tummy tucks or breast lifts. In evaluating the safety of procedures, smoking is a major factor, but there are others as well. Discuss this with your surgeon, who can take all of these other factors into consideration when making a determination of the risks of this surgery.

Thanks for your question! We do ask patients to quit smoking prior to surgery; however, every doctor is different. You should direct this question to the office at which you are having your surgery. Good luck!

You’ll need to let your surgeon know about your smoking, since they’re more familiar with your situation and may have different pre-op instructions. Please let them know as soon as you can.

Smoking prior to surgery increases the risk of wound healing complications. The current standard is 4 weeks prior and 4 weeks after to abstain from any nicotine products. You will have a foreign body placed. You will be paying cash for an elective surgery. No one can predict the future for you, however you have to ask yourself if this is something you can put off for only a few weeks! If you were my patient I would want you to have the best possible outcome.

Hi pharrell66,
Most importantly, I would suggest that you speak with your surgeon in advance, as surgeons have different opinions on this issue. I nicotine test all patients prior to elective surgery, and cancel patients who come up nicotine positive for any elective surgery.
There is solid rationale behind this strategy, which I acknowledge is inconvenient for you, but admittedly is also inconvenient for the surgeon, who has time in the operating room then with nothing to do. Even a single cigarette will constrict down small blood vessels for 1-2 hours. For patients were smoking 5 cigarettes a day, this means that your small blood vessels are squeezed down for half of the day. This is important because these small blood vessels are the same vessels which need to dilate in order to bring blood supply, nutrients, and healing cells to the surgical site.
Although cancellation on short notice is inconvenient for both parties, it maximizes your safety and a good outcome.
Especially for the augmentation, where any pinpoint open wound has the potential to track back to the implant and predispose to infection, I feel strongly that patients not smoke within a month of surgery.
I hope this helps, and best of luck.
Best,Christopher Pannucci MD MSBoard Certified Plastic SurgeonPlastic Surgery NorthwestSpokane, Washington

Nicotine, even in small amounts, effects your bodies ability to heal on time with its full healing potential for up to 4-6 weeks. Virtually every study in the plastic surgery literature that looks a complication rates by procedure type and smoking/nicotine status, including breast surgery, have found significantly higher rates of minor and major complications. I always inform my patients that nicotine and surgery are a high risk combination. If a patient has a history of nicotine use, I ask them to stop 4 weeks before surgery. I tell them that I will test them on the day of surgery, and if the test is positive for nicotine, the operation will be cancelled. I do not gamble with another person's health or wellbeing when the complications that can follow from a poorly timed elective surgery could injure or disfigure them for life.

Smoking affects the lungs and your capacity to recover from surgery. Smokers have a higher risk of pneumonia and wound healing issues following any surgical procedure. In your case, the smoking is not excessive and should have minimal affect on your healing. However, since this is elective surgery, I would recommend delaying your surgery 1 month and stop all your smoking

Dear pharrell66,
every plastic surgeon has his own preoperative protocol which he recommends to his patients. I would suggest you to discuss this with your plastic surgeon.
Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Smoking can cause significant wound healing issues after surgery. I generally want my patients to be smoke free 4 weeks before surgery and 4 weeks after. This includes vaping nicotine or marijuana as well. Nicotine patches and nicotine gums are also included. We want no nicotine products in your system. Nicotine decreases the blood flow to an area which is essential for wound healing. Smoking also decreases the available oxygen to the tissues which again will interfere with wound healing.

I would discuss this with your surgeon.

Hope that helps.

Thank you for sharing your question. Unfortunately without knowing your full medical history, and your surgical details, it is difficult to offer definite advice. I would discuss with your surgeon and postpone the surgery as needed.