The answer is a resounding yes. If you are planning to go for plastic surgery to Thailand, and you are a smoker, your surgeon will probably ask you to stop smoking before and after the surgery. Smoking is injurious to health, per se, so there is no question of whether there are harmful side effects of smoking or not.
Vaping is also a complete no-no, though some people think it is safe. The same goes with nicotine gums, patches, and e-cigarettes. The nicotine present in the mentioned products is the main reason why you need to stop smoking before and after plastic surgery. Try to stay away from secondary smoking as well, which may have less impact but will slowly shrink your blood vessels.
Table of Contents
Results Of Mixing Plastic Surgery With Nicotine
- Infections
- Necrosis- death of fat cells
- Wounds will take time to heal
- Fatal blood clots
- Increase in pain
- Your blood platelets will become sticky
- Elevated platelet level will lead to ischemia of the tissues
- Even life-threatening effects like heart attack, stroke, and pneumonia could occur
Before The Surgery
The doctor will require you to stop smoking for three to six weeks before the plastic surgery in Thailand and here is why.
- For the anesthesia to work for the operation, you need to cleanse your system of all nicotine properties. If not, the procedure will be risky, and your body will react to certain medications, which will disturb the working of your lungs and heart under anesthesia.
- Your body will go through cuts and incisions, which means blood will escape from your body. As a result of smoking, nicotine will tighten your blood vessels and minimize healthy blood circulation leading to severe blood clotting and poor healing. Once this clot reaches the heart or lungs, there is the risk of life-threatening pulmonary embolism.
- Another reason to quit smoking is it weakens your immune system. Microbial infections will easily enter the open wounds and as a result, your recovery time will be longer and more painful.
If you do not think you can quit puffing right away, have an honest discussion with your doctor to either cancel or postpone the surgery.
After The Surgery
Plastic surgery is exposed to many risks which is why your surgeon will advise you to take some precautions. Smoking will be allowed only after two to six weeks for speedy recovery. Smoking after surgery is not recommended because of the following reasons.
- Your immune system will take a step lower after the surgical procedure. Smoking will increase the risks of infections if you don’t allow the passage of full recovery. Macrophages, which are important cells of your immune system that correct infections and heal damaged cells will be reduced if you start smoking before your recovery time is over.
- Smoking will slow down your healing time as your wounds are less likely to close sooner than non-smoking patients.
- In bone surgery, your healing may take longer, and in breast augmentation, you have a higher risk of losing your implants, as compared to a non-smoker.
- Quitting your nicotine intake will improve your body’s immunity to ward off bacterial infections
- Smoking surgery will reduce the number of fibroblasts (cells that helps in the healing of wounds) and RBC in the blood.
Surgery Might Help You Quit Smoking For Good
In Thailand, surgery can be followed by a program to quit smoking. There are many resources available, to help you give up smoking if you truly desire. A follow-up study of patients shows that about 40% of patients who smoked refrained from smoking after surgery and about one-fourth completely gave up cigarettes.
Post-operative measures include staying away from nicotine for the first two weeks. These instructions are mainly to increase wound healing time and avoid other negative outcomes. After your recovery time is over, you can switch to nicotine patches, and other prescription drugs to help you quit.
Generally, nicotine habit has its harmful side effects in many ways, and mixing smoking with surgery invites a high risk of complications in the future which may be life-threatening. Giving up smoking before plastic surgery will not only improve your appearances but also raise confidence in yourself.
