Therapist Unlimited Blog

Smokers who wish to undergo a medical surgery needs to stop their smoking habits now.
This developed after a recent research has shown that people who start nicotine replacement therapy at least four weeks before surgery can halve their risk of poor wound healing.
Based on the study made by German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) they found out that quitting smoking in times of stress is not easy.
Professor Peter Sawicki, the Institute’s Director revealed quitting from smoke is not easy before operation but those who smoke re more likely to have complications after surgery than people who do not smoke.
At the moment, IQWiG has now analysed current research results that show that nicotine replacement therapy can help people quit smoking and avoid complications after surgery.

It is time to stop smoking to those smokers who wish to undergo surgery.

The researchers said nicotine replacement therapy helps reduce withdrawal symptoms when people stop smoking by giving them nicotine through a patch or chewing gum.
The researchers revealed trials showed that only 14 percent of the patients who smoked had problems with wound healing if they had nicotine replacement therapy at least four weeks before surgery, compared to 28 percent of the patients who did not have nicotine replacement therapy.
The research team added poor wound healing is one of the most common complications after surgery.
Moreover, Sawicki said lack of oxygen can cause poor wound healing.
Sawicki said anaesthetics and surgery put a strain on the body’s oxygen supply as it is.
He said smoking reduces the amount of oxygen that is available in the blood even more, making it more difficult for wounds to heal a process which requires oxygen.