Plastic Surgery Outcomes Delayed by Smoking

Plastic Surgery Comments (3)

Quitting smoking is one of the best ways to ensure optimal results for your plastic surgery procedure.
The reason? Smoking damages the blood vessels and complicates surgery, especially for:

• Tummy tuck patients
• Breast reduction procedures
• Body shaping
• Face lifts

Why those patients? Because the first three require long incisions. In a tummy tuck, for instance, the incision often runs hip-to-hip. Plus, the blood supply comes from a longer distance and cannot withstand any restriction.
Consider the situation for face lift patients who smoke: Badly healed scars are usually raised, reddish and have deep bruising. That’s something nobody wants for an enhanced appearance.

The problem? Nicotine shrinks the blood vessels. That in turn, lessens blood flow and makes healing much more difficult. Because it is the blood that brings healing nutrients and oxygen to a wound.

Added expenses can be sky high. Smokers’ skin and other tissues involved could possibly die, requiring a trip to the hospital and much more expensive treatment – which a health insurance company would not cover because the problems resulted from cosmetic surgery.

Not only must cosmetic plastic surgery patients stop smoking weeks before the procedure, they must forgo tobacco use as long as four weeks afterwards to allow for optimal healing.

Some plastic surgeons recommend Chantix. Anti-smoking gum can’t be used because it contains nicotine.
(Read more about smoking and plastic surgery.)

Would you give up your smokes for a face lift or a breast surgery procedure?

admin @ December 13, 2008