It is no secret that smoking is bad for you, but how exactly does it affect your body before undergoing a medical procedure? Preparing for surgery can be a stressful time and a patient often has quite the to-do list before the procedure actually takes place. Whatever the reason, quitting smoking rarely makes the to-do list even though quitting smoking is extremely impactful to surgery success and recovery.
Most medical professionals recommend that a patient should not smoke for two weeks prior to any surgery or procedure. Some professionals even encourage not smoking for a full six weeks before surgery. Quitting smoking even for this short amount of time can lower a patient's risk of serious complications dramatically. It also helps the patient to recover from surgery more quickly. Let's take a closer look at why smoking hinders surgery success and recovery progress:
- Smoking prevents healing by disrupting the pathway of necessary nutrients to the wound site
- Smoking raises the risk of blood clots, which increases the chance of heart attacks and strokes
- Smoking increases inflammation and pain
- Smoking raises the risk of infection by decreasing blood flow and making wounds less likely to heal correctly
- Smoking increases the risk of problems during and after a procedure, especially anesthesia-related issues such as pneumonia and heart attacks.
After quitting smoking, blood flow increases immediately and continues to improve over the following weeks and months. Quitting even the day of surgery can increase the amount of oxygen in the body, which is crucial for the immune system to operate properly. Of course, the earlier the better, but even quitting close to the surgery date gives the patient a better chance at a positive surgery experience.
Talk to your doctor or health care provider for assistance in quitting smoking. There are many resources and treatment options available! Reach out to improve your overall health today!
Dr. Geoffrey Wright is a Board-Certified Orthopaedic Surgeon specializing in hip and knee joint replacement. He has dedicated his career to eliminating pain, increasing mobility, and providing a better quality of life for his patients. Dr. Wright has served as a U.S. Navy orthopedic surgeon and spent considerable time as a surgeon and faculty member at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth before joining the team at Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center located in Suffolk, Harbour View, and Chesapeake, Virginia.
