Smoking affects the ability of the body to deliver the essential nutrients into the blood stream and reduces the oxygen supply in the tissues and bones which in turn slows down wound and bone healing. This increases the risks of infection.
Nicotine, one of the products found in cigarettes, reduces blood flow in tissues, keeping the blood in the vessels longer which can lead to blood clots in the legs or lungs.
Evidence also suggests that smokers have poor pain control and have a greater need for stronger painkillers like opioids.
All smokers have a higher risk for heart and lung problems. Even when your surgery goes smoothly, smoking causes your body, heart, and lungs to work harder than if you did not smoke.
Benefits for quitting smoking
Cigarettes have harmful chemicals such as tar and nicotine that can put you at risk of many health problems. Health problems you may experience from smoking include:
Blood clots and aneurysms in the brain, which can lead to strokes.
Coronary artery disease, including chest pain (angina) and heart attacks.
High blood pressure.
Poor blood supply to the legs.
Problems with erections.
High risk for many different types of cancer.
Lung problems, such as emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and asthma.
Making the Decision to Quit
Ideally stopping smoking should be a lifestyle choice. To maximise the benefits of stopping smoking, most doctors will advise you to stop using cigarettes and tobacco as soon as you are recommended to have surgery. Increasing the time between quitting smoking and your surgery to at least 10 weeks can decrease your risk of problems even more. However, even stopping a day or two will increase the oxygen supply into the body. Stopping between 3 – 6 weeks can increase the body’s defences against a infection by 50%. Like any addiction, quitting tobacco is difficult.
There are many ways to quit smoking and many resources to help you, such as:
Family members, friends, and co-workers may be supportive or encouraging.
Talk to your doctor about medicines, such as nicotine replacement and prescription medicines.
If you join a smoking cessation programme, you have a much better chance of success. Such programmes are offered by hospitals, health departments, community centres, and work sites.
Using nicotine gum around the time of surgery is not encouraged. The nicotine will still interfere with the healing of your surgical wound and have the same effect on your general health as using cigarettes and tobacco.
References
“Stop Smoking – Live Well.” NHS Choices, NHS - Click here
“Smoking greatly increases risk of complications after surgery”. Accessed 22 May 2020 - Click here
Informed Health. Org (2018) Can quitting smoking before surgery prevent complications? Accessed 22 May 2020 - Click here
NICE (2018) Stop smoking interventions and services. Guideline NG92. Accessed 22 May 2020 - Click here