I am having a modified breast lift with breast implants next Wednesday. I only stopped smoking 4 days ago; should I reschedule?
A: Smoking and breast surgery
Patients should be off all tobacco products (inluding nicotine patches/gum) for a minimum of two weeks before and two weeks after cosmetic surgery. This risk of wound healing complications, poor scarring, nipple/areola skin loss is much higher in patients who smoke during(before/after) surgery. Also, with breast implants, there is higher risk of capsular contracture (thick scar tissue) developing in smokers.
The longer you can quit smoking, the better your chances of normal wound healing. You can always postpone elective surgery to improve your chances of getting a better result.
