More and more men and women are opting to undergo body contouring in NYC. It is very important that patients adhere to their plastic surgeon’s recommendations about preparing for their liposuction treatment and for post-surgical care. One of the major issues that surgeons discuss with patients is smoking. Many people want to know if it is really necessary to stop smoking before and after the procedure and why.
Everyone is aware of the serious health problems that smoking can cause, and that’s why it’s always better to quit. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 46 million American adults smoke despite knowing the negative health effects of smoking cigarettes which are well publicized. Plastic surgeons advise their patients to stop smoking prior to and after their liposuction procedure as not doing so will have a negative impact. Smoking can decrease the oxygen content in your blood. The oxygen levels in your blood is very important to it helps your body to survive and perform its normal functions. Lack of oxygen would decrease the body’s capacity to heal and this would lead to delayed recovery as it would take longer time for your surgical wounds to heal. This is especially important when you have plastic surgery because it could lead to death of tissue and skin due to the lack of oxygen.
According to www.costhetics.com, Australia’s Leading Information Source for Cosmetic Surgery News and Cosmetic Surgery Procedures, a recent analysis of data of over 520,000 patients from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database showed that:
- Smokers face increased risk under anesthesia because both heart and lung problems can complicate surgery
- Smokers are 38 percent more likely to die after surgery than non-smokers
- Smokers face twice the risk of developing pneumonia
- Smokers are 80 percent more likely to have a heart attack and 70 percent more likely to have a stroke
- Smokers are 30 percent more likely to develop infections after surgery
Cigarette smoke contains nicotine that tightens the blood vessels and decreases healthy circulation. It can also make the blood clot more easily which can further clog small blood vessels and capillaries. Problems that smoking causes for liposuction patients include:
- It can cause coughing, leading to pain
- Leads to unnecessary bleeding
- Slows the healing process and leads to longer recovery time
- Higher risk of infection
- Causes cell death and skin death, leading to poor scarring
These problems can destroy liposuction results and even make revision surgery necessary. To allow your body to heal properly, it’s better to quit smoking as soon as you make choice to undergo liposuction or at least stop 2 weeks prior and 2 weeks after surgery. Resuming smoking during recovery before your incision sites have healed puts you at risk of poor healing, infection, and other dangerous complications.
A reliable plastic surgeon in NYC will discuss all the complications related to your procedure during the consultation. Choose an AAAASF accredited plastic surgery center with surgeons who are experts in liposuction treatment for a safe and comfortable experience and optimal results.