Why Smoking and Plastic Surgery is a Dangerous Combination

Smoking kills. That’s a fact we all know. We also know smoking has dozens of health-related side effects. It’s terrible for your heart, lungs, skin, and blood circulation. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 20 percent of deaths in America are a result of smoking. Tobacco usage increases the risk of several types of cancer: stomach, esophagus, mouth, throat, and lung. Smoking also increases the risk factor for other health issues like stroke, emphysema, bronchitis, aneurysms, and heart disease.

As you can see, there are plenty of good reasons to quit smoking, but if you’re considering plastic surgery, then that should be a substantial contributing factor in your decision to quit. There are many unwanted, potentially serious complications if you’re a smoker who gets plastic surgery. Dr. B. Aviva Preminger wants to help you understand the importance of kicking the habit if you’re considering plastic surgery.

Dr. Preminger, a prominent plastic surgeon on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and New York City, hopes that this list of risks can show you that smoking while considering plastic surgery is not advised.

Healing

Smoking constricts blood vessels and constrains the binding of oxygen, lowering oxygen levels, and limiting your body’s ability to heal itself.

Complications may include:

• Wound separation
• Red scarring
• Raised scars
• Skin necrosis (aka skin death)

Smokers who undergo surgery also experience a higher chance of infection and are more likely to be admitted into intensive care after their operation.

Anesthesia and Pain Medicine

Smokers may experience more issues with anesthesia. The anesthesia is less likely to work properly and more likely to cause severe side effects if you’re a smoker. A 2015 study conducted in Turkey found that smokers required 33 percent more anesthesia for surgery than non-smokers and 23 percent more pain medication after surgery to attain the same results. The study also indicated that non-smokers exposed to second-hand smoke require 20 percent more anesthesia and 18 percent more pain medication than non-smokers who were not exposed to second-hand smoke.

Death

Smokers die at a higher rate due to surgical complications in any form of surgery. Another recent study compared post-surgery risks for 125,000 smokers, 78,000 former smokers (who quit at least a year before surgery), and 400,000 non-smokers. This study found that patients who smoke are 17 percent more likely to die during any surgical procedure and 53 percent more likely to suffer heart or lung problems during the surgery.

What does this mean for you?

Preminger Plastic Surgery strives not only for patient success and satisfaction but also for patient safety. Because of these risks, Dr. Preminger, as a Manhattan area board-certified plastic surgeon, has strict guidelines when it comes to performing surgery on a patient who smokes. She has committed her practice to the safety of her patients, above all. She wants to ensure you have great results and a long, healthy life following your procedure, which starts by giving up tobacco use. There are many effective cessation programs available to help you quit smoking.

Plastic Surgery in Manhattan

Kicking the habit will help your health in the long run and allow you to have the plastic surgery you want by minimizing risks associated with tobacco use. Schedule a consultation and consider your options if you are located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan or anywhere in New York City. Give us a call at (212) 706-1900.