How Does Smoking Affect Breast Reduction Surgery? What if I Smoke One Cigarette a Day?

Dear May,

Smoking one cigarette a day can be disastrous! Please do yourself a favor and abstain completely until you are a few weeks post op. Not only does nicotine deprive the tissues from blood, it also carries (along with other nutrients involved in healing) antibiotics to help fight infection. So not worth the risk!

Kind regards,

Dr. H

Thank you for your question. It is super important that you quit. Smoking before surgery may increase procedure risks and problems with healing. Nicotine causes the blood vessels to constrict which means they decrease in their size and blood flow thorough them drops off. Nicotine can also make the blood clot more easily which can further clog small blood vessels and capillaries. These effects are extremely serious because they decrease the blood supply to the tissues, can result in wounds not healing, and can result in some devastating complications. Best option is to quit smoking over all! Best of luck!Dhaval M. Patel Double board certified Plastic surgeon Hoffman Estates BarringtonOakbrook Chicago

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.