Why You Shouldn’t Smoke After Surgery

Have you just had surgery?

If so, smoking should be the last thing on your mind, as it can lead to serious complications that put your health at risk.

Cigarette smoking weakens your immune system, increases the chance of infections, and slows down the healing process of surgical wounds.

During surgery, a significant incision is made to address an issue with one of your organs, arteries, or other complications.

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These deep wounds take time and require special post-operative care to heal properly.

So today, let’s talk about the consequences of smoking after surgery and why it’s best to avoid it.

Delayed Healing

If you continue smoking after surgery, your recovery will likely take much longer. 

The chemicals in cigarette smoke, particularly nicotine, cause blood vessels to constrict, reducing the flow of oxygen and essential nutrients to the surgical site.

With a lower blood supply, your body’s healing process is slowed down, and in severe cases, it can even lead to delayed wound healing or tissue death. 

After surgery, when you’re already dealing with pain and discomfort, the last thing you want is complications.

For a faster recovery and to avoid further risks, it’s best to quit smoking for good.

Poor Immune System Performance

Smokers tend to have weaker immune systems, making their bodies more vulnerable to harmful invaders that can put their health at risk. 

This is largely due to the carbon monoxide in cigarettes, which hinders the immune system’s ability to fight off infections and support healing. 

So, when you inhale these chemicals after surgery, you’re more likely to develop infections and face complications during recovery.

The whole point of having surgery is to improve your health, so to avoid extra expenses and setbacks, it’s best to stop smoking both before and after your operation.

A Higher Risk of Death

Smoking right after surgery carries higher mortality rates regardless of the operation’s probability of success.

Your body is vulnerable and strained right after any surgery, and it needs all the nutrients and supplements it can get to recover your body rapidly. By smoking, you consume toxins and carcinogens present in cigarettes that exacerbate the vulnerable state of the body.

That means if you don’t stop smoking, your surgical recovery might lead to severe health complications with potentially fatal outcomes. 

Why Quit Smoking Before Your Surgery

We don’t mean to scare you with the facts mentioned about smoking after surgery. But it’s the truth. 

You’ll have a better time during and after surgery if you quit smoking before your surgery.

Quitting smoking a few weeks before surgery eliminates some of the harmful toxins in cigarettes from the system, reducing the risk of complications both during and after the surgery.

Stopping smoking a month before surgery avoids anesthesia-related problems that can cause respiratory difficulties and poor oxygenation. Kicking the habit before surgery also enhances the body’s ability to heal during the post-operative period.

Why Quit Smoking Even Without Surgery

As mentioned, smoking is the cause of many surgical complications. But, it is also an easily preventable health burden worldwide. 

Apart from the well-known health concerns, when you quit smoking, you’ll also enjoy better skin and save more cash for holidays, school fees, or a car down payment. 

In as short as 6 days, you’ll feel plenty of physical benefits that feel like a huge burden was lifted from your shoulders.

Clearly, there are no downsides to quitting smoking for good, even if you don’t have to go through surgery and leave your body in a vulnerable state.

Helpful Tips to Stop Smoking for Good

Whether you’re having difficulty stopping smoking months before your surgery or just want to stop for good, here are a few steps to get you in the right direction.

Consult a GP

GPs have helped many ex-smokers find success in their path towards quitting smoking. They can give you a personalised smoking cessation plan with your nicotine consumption and other needs in mind. 

GPs can also prescribe tools, such as nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products and nicotine vaping products (NVPs) from pharmacies to help you cope with nicotine withdrawals and cravings.

Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) Products

As it says in the name, nicotine replacement means providing a small dose of nicotine to cushion withdrawal effects and cravings. Your brain quickly notices the absence of nicotine during cold turkey quitting, so with NRT products, you have a better chance to control your urges and keep yourself on the right path.

But, NRT doesn’t work for everyone. If it’s not quite doing the trick, your GP can prescribe NVPs from pharmacies.

Nicotine Vaping Products (NVPs)

The alternative, second-line solution to NRT is pharmacy-available NVPs. 

Unlike their illegal and dangerous counterparts, NVP products sold in pharmacies are made under stringent pharmaceutical standards on the manufacturing process and ingredients, are toxicologically assessed for inhalation, are locally insured, and are specifically designed to help you stop smoking.

Pharmacy NVPs can be effective because they imitate the throat hit and hand-to-mouth gesture associated with smoking – things that are engrained in most smokers. 

Despite being second-line solutions, the latest Cochrane Review found high-certainty evidence that NVPs are more effective than NRT in helping people stop smoking.

Summary

There is no situation where smoking is beneficial to surgery. In fact, there is no situation where smoking is helpful at all. Patients should never smoke right after surgery, and people should take time to stop smoking before their surgery to improve healing and avoid complications. 

You’re probably reading this because you want to know when to stop smoking before and after surgery. We hope you found this information useful. If you’re looking to quit, we can also help.

Smokefree Clinic gives you access to many medically reviewed and trustworthy resources that can inform and aid you in your path to wellness, so have a look around! 

If you’re ready to get started, Smokefree can connect you to Australian healthcare professionals who excel in helping patients quit smoking for good.

Link Reference:

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5352117/
• https://www.breastcancer.org/managing-life/immune-system/cancer-treatments/surgery
• https://www.cochrane.org/news/latest-cochrane-review-finds-high-certainty-evidence-nicotine-e-cigarettes-are-more-effective