How nicotine sabotages plastic surgery

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In preparation for surgery, plastic surgeons strongly recommend quitting smoking 2 weeks before and 2-4 weeks after surgery. This is explained by the fact that smoking slows down the process of wound healing. Are there any other reasons why this recommendation is being introduced and what other negative consequences smoking entails, we will consider in this article.

If the patient decides to undergo plastic surgery, then, accordingly, he wants the result to be good. And in order to achieve it, joint work is needed not only on the part of the surgeon, but also on the part of the patient.Why you shouldn’t smoke before and after plastic surgery.

Wound healing is slow.

Nicotine causes vasoconstriction. In this regard, there is a restriction of tissues in nutrients. The carbon monoxide present in tobacco smoke restricts oxygen to the tissues and prevents oxygenation of the blood cells, causing the blood to thicken. The less blood flow, the less tissue is fed even in the normal state, and after the operation you need to multiply everything by two – the body is in a state of recovery.

Risk of wound infections, necrosis.

If the wounds heal slowly, it can lead to infections. Due to the fact that tissues cannot be properly oxygenated, necrosis may occur. Cell death, in turn, can lead, for example, to displacement of implants.

Undesirable complications of anesthesia

If the patient smoked a day before the operation, then under anesthesia he may experience oxygen deficiency. In most cases, after the withdrawal from anesthesia, patients experience discomfort.

The occurrence of bleeding

After any surgical intervention in the body, the body tries to cleanse itself. So, for example, after abdominoplasty or liposuction, the body, clearing itself of the resins accumulated in the lungs, gets rid of them by coughing. This can cause the stitches to open and cause bleeding.

Increased risk of reoperations

According to studies, after five years, more than 50 percent of smokers apply again for plastic surgery: tummy tuck, breast lift and facelift. This is due to the fact that in smoking patients, the skin condition worsens, it sags due to loss of elasticity.