Quit Smoking – Less Post-Operative Complications

Smokers who give up smoking 4 weeks before the operation face less risk of complications claims a doctoral thesis submitted at Swedish Medical University, Karolinska Institutet. Many of them remain non-smokers for a long time after having given up the habit of smoking.

Smokers face complications such as wounds that take time to heal, wound infections after surgery as compared to non-smokers. Dr. David Lindstorm, surgeon, Stockholm South General Hospital has in his doctoral thesis shown that giving up the use of tobacco four weeks prior to a operation was effective to avoid the risk of complications. He finds the complications very unpleasant for the patients and expensive for the health services. Quitting smoking was a cheap and effective preventive measure.

This preventive measure was very attractive for a patient as surgery provides a good reason to give smoking. It is a motivating factor for smokers to give up smoking and remain as non-smokers.

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