How Smoking affects Surgery

How many did you smoke today? (Credit: bachmont)

As reported by the American Society for Plastic Surgery, 11.5 million cosmetic procedures were done in 2006 alone. More and more people are opting to go under the knife to enhance their looks and body – from rhinoplasty to designer vagina surgery, there’s a procedure for almost any part of the body.

And if you’re considering plastic surgery and smoke like a chimney, you just have a reason to try quitting the smoking habit.

According to a recent study, individuals who smoke have had less desirable long term results post periodontal surgery, than non-smokers. So smokers beware before entering the operating room in hopes of a better smile, the results may not last as long as you’d like.

Researchers conducted a study that followed 10 smokers and 10 non-smokers over a two-year period and evaluated the effects of cigarette smoke on the long-term outcomes of oral surgeries.

The study showed that after two years, the patients who had a smoking history showed increased gum recession around the areas that were operated on. In conducting this study, researchers found that people who smoke have a greater risk of their oral surgeries not being effective long term. They claim that many of the patients they studied were forced to go in for repeat surgeries.