How does smoking affect my surgical result?

Smoking disrupts the healing process and increases the risks of developing complications after surgery. Most plastic surgery procedures are particularly vulnerable. Chemicals from smoking circulating in the bloodstream prior to surgery or during the fragile healing process can lead to infections, wound breakdown and even the “death” of skin and tissue, called “necrosis”. Unattractive scars can also be a result of smoking.

Because of these significant dangers, we require all of our patients to stop smoking for 2 to 4 weeks before surgery and remain tobacco free for 2 to 4 weeks afterwards.