Will Smoking Marijuana Affect my Recovery from Breast Augmentation Surgery?

Thank for your question. Make sure you follow the advice of your surgeon. However, I generally don't tell patients to avoid marijuana post-operatively as it does not have any appreciable effect on healing or recovery. I do however strongly advise against smoking nicotine-containing products as this does have a significant adverse effect on healing.

The effect that marijuana has on a patients post-op result is the subject of many recent discussions, especially in the context of marijuana being legalized in more and more states and also as vaping becomes more prevalent.  There are lots of studies on the issue but it is difficult since there is little standardization with regards to the ingredients in a particular "joint."That being said, it is probably fair to say that the use of marijuana will not help in your recovery...  (although many do  espouse the benefit of marijuana in decreasing nausea...)  What I really "fear" is anything containing nicotine - cigarettes and vaping of nicotine should truly be avoided for a number of weeks pre and post op.  From my perspective - I do not object to intermittent marijuana use in he context of surgery but it is very difficult to generalize.

We tell all patients who use nicotine to stop pre and post operatively as this has deleterious effects on wound healing. When it comes to smoking (tobacco or marijuana) there are chemicals in the smoke that may effect wound healing and/or increase risk of bleeding.  So we recommend patients follow the same pre and post operative instructions to stop smoking all products.  With that said, we don't feel there is an issue with patients consuming edible marijuana products.

Although marijuana does not contain the same ingredients as cigarettes, they do share something in common which is carbon monoxide.  Nicotine which is present in cigarettes but not in marijuana is a strong vasoconstrictor which means it makes the blood vessels clamp down and tighten up causing a decrease in blood flood.  This is obviously not good for an area that is trying to heal.  Marijuana does not have this effect but, when smoked does cause a decrease of readily available oxygen to the tissues, by the presence of carbon monoxide.
Therefore, I ask my patients who are using marijuana for its medicinal uses to switch to edibles during there recovery, which is the 4 weeks before and after surgery.  Although, I do warn all my patients who smoke cigarettes/marijuana that their capsular contracture rate is higher because of smoking when you compare them to the population that does not smoke.
Hope that helps.

Hi and thank you for your question.It is recommended that you stop smoking 3 weeks before and 3 weeks after surgery.  Smoking can cause post operative complications . Better to be safe than sorry. Best of luck!