Those who stop smoking at least four weeks before an impending operation can halve the risk of poor wound healing. Compared to nonsmokers, it is more common in smokers after surgery complications, in particular due to a decreased wound healing.

The reason is that smoking increases the carbon monoxide in the blood, so the hemoglobin can carry less oxygen. This reduces the supply of oxygen, which oxygen-consuming processes such as wound healing, of course, difficult. Smoking also increases blood pressure and pulse, and therefore charged the heart. During anesthesia and surgery to create the circuit anyway, this is even more pronounced in smokers with significant impact on the supply of oxygen, which is reflected inter alia in a higher postoperative complication rate.

Lower complication rates with nicotine replacement preparations

Nicotine replacement therapy with patches or gum can hinweghelfen nicotine addicts stop smoking in a over the initial withdrawal symptoms, thus facilitating the renunciation of cigarettes. Thus, in a recent study (see British Journal of Surgery 2009, Volume 96, reducing page 451-461), the complication rate after surgery from 28 to 14 percent and thus halve the incidence of problems with wound healing, when the study participants four weeks tasks prior to surgery with the help of nicotine replacement drugs, smoking. Already 24 hours after quitting smoking the carbon monoxide from the blood begins to disappear, said Koehler. In addition, the nicotine content of substitutes is lower than that of cigarettes, so that the heart and circulation of patients are less polluted.

Adjusting the medication dose during smoking cessation is required

Smoking affects the degradation of drug substances in the liver – so patients should tell their doctor if they want to quit smoking so that it can adapt it if necessary, the dose of their medication, advises Koehler. Some asthma sprays need to be dosed higher, for example, during the weaning phase. In contrast, insulin acts as a smoking cessation more than before, so that it can occur in diabetics Unterzucker.