If I can't stop smoking should I forget about having a breast augmentation?

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.

You will hear different schools of thought on this, but smoking adversely impacts your healing from any surgery. So, if you can't quit then I would recommend not having the surgery. It's not worth the risk to your health. My best,
Dr. Sheila Nazarian
@drsheilanazarian on Instagram

Hi & thank you for your question. It is always a good ides to quit smoking before having surgery, It can interfere with the healing process. Check with your surgeon on his/her instructions/restrictions  on smoking. Best of luck.

Thank you for your enquiry.

I advise my patients who are smokers to stop smoking ASAP
but no later than 6 weeks prior to surgery and try not to start after surgery.
One thing you should remember is that you will be having implants, so it is not
just the question of wound healing issues, but smoking may also increase the
risk of developing implant related complications such as capsular contracture
(hardness of the capsule your body creates around the implant). Unfortunately this
is not something that can be predicted in advance but it is important and
should be taken into consideration if you are a smoker and planning to have breast
implants.

Best wishes

Allen Rezai M.D.

Smoking is a bad health habit, period, so I certainly would encourage you to continue in your efforts to stop entirely.  However, most straightforward first time stand-alone breast augmentations are safe for smokers.  I would not perform or recommend performing a major mastopexy procedure in conjunction with a breast augmentation in a patient who is smoking.