Smoked a Cigarette 3 Days Post Breast Implant Removal, Will I Heal Okay?

1 cigarette will probably not affect healing for breast implant removal since you are not altering the blood supply. But don't do it again!

Thanks for the question. You should meet your Board Certified Surgeon after this situation. Because you should wait 4-6 weeks because your operation area trying to get healed. Then after yes you can do smoke and drink. I wish you all the best.

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.

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. Please discuss with your surgeon what their guidelines are for your particular surgery.

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 surgical procedure where the viability of the
nipple-areolar complex and tissue 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 and at
least 6 weeks after any surgical procedure. The longer, the better.
Nicotine always increases the risk for infection, nipple necrosis, poor
scarring, and
wound complications, as well as other health consequences including blood clots. The
anesthesia risk is greater with general anesthesia as well as pulmonary
issues/lung infections postoperatively. I would
discuss this with your surgeon prior to your procedure. Hope that this
helps! Best wishes!

All forms of nicotine should really be avoided for any plastic surgery procedure. This is particularly true of cigarettes, but also applies to replacement patches/gum etc. 

 

The reason is that nicotine act as a powerful drug that shrinks down small blood vessels. And it is exactly these small blood vessels that are needed to heal your wounds. In addition, the skin is often put under tension in plastic surgery operations. This also has the effect of reducing blood supply. Therefore if you smoke as well, it is effectively a "double whammy" for your wounds and they are at a much higher risk of infection and would healing problems.

 

 

 

While a single cigarette is unlikely to significantly impact the results, cigarette smoking does risk complicating healing.

Cigarettes are a no no!  While I doubt one cigarette will cause any problems, cigarettes in general increase the risk of major complications with healing.

Although impossible to say for certain, I think it is unlikely that a single cigarette smoked 3 days after breast implant removal will change your course. These operations are associated with small incisions are generally heal well.

Best wishes.