A couple of weeks before you make a trip to a specialist to receive breast enhancement surgery you surgeon may well ask you to totally refrain from smoking. It has been found that smoking makes breast surgery patients suffer more at the time of surgery and also afterwards. Nicotine levels should be heavily reduced at the very least prior to any breast modification.

Firstly, if you cease smoking in advance of surgery you will become healthier. Poorer performing bodies related to people who smoke are less able to withstand the harsh conditions of surgery and later recovery. Blood circulation is slowed when someone is smoking, the inhaled nicotine entering the bloodstream via the lungs acts to vasoconstrict (i.e. reduce the diameter) the blood vessels. Surgery typically uses anesthetics that by their very nature bring the blood oxygen levels to a minimum. Vasoconstriction only acts to exacerbate this low oxygen situation. Additionally, anesthetics administered have a more predictable and therefore safe use with people who don't smoke, so called 'complications' being rarer. An important part of the bodys natural healing process after surgery is the fast and efficient flow of new blood to the damaged sites. Lowered flows translate to lower blood oxygen levels and resultant slower tissue repair. Below a certain low level of oxygen delivery to the cells healing is prevented and necrosis may set in, the then dead tissue will need to be cut out. If necrotic cells are left attached to the body they typically become infected, pathogens subsequently move onto the surrounding healthy tissue.

Upon the cessation of smoking your body will be able to rid its self of nicotine within only a day. Unfortunately the same is not true of other smoking related chemicals such as carbon monoxide (binds to hemoglobin in blood stronger than oxygen!) which remain for a considerably longer period of time. These other chemicals are known to reduce the body's ability to form blood clots therefore lowering the ability of damaged areas of tissue to gain new and healthy tissue. Another effect of these deleterious chemicals is that of immune system suppression.

Yet another beneficial reason to stopping smoking at least a small duration before surgery is that of lessened nicotine withdrawal. It can take around a month to see major benefits of having quitted smoking. New healthy habits such as this are reported to form in around 21 days, possibly the number of days not smoking endured by the end of the surgery!

The feeling for many smokers of wanting to smoke heavily prior to surgery will not impress your surgeon. Blood and urine samples will be required of you during your pre-op surgery visit. These samples quickly and efficiently detect whether you've been smoking or not. Evidence of smoking may well mean the surgery is delayed. All in all the risks associated with smoking are simply not worth taking if you want to receive peace of mind, timely surgery and fast healing.