There are plenty of ads encouraging people to stop smoking for their health, voice, children and other family members, and more. If you come in to discuss the best breast lift with a doctor in NYC, you may find yourself having yet another conversation about quitting. It’s not just about your health, but rather the healing process.
Some patients just quit shortly before and after the surgery to allow the body to heal more efficiently, reducing recovery time and improving overall results. While the same rules apply in everyday life, the slower healing time and other side effects will become especially noticeable after a major surgery. If the blood vessels cannot function as efficiently as possible, essential nutrients cannot easily get to the area in need.
Avoid Extra Precautionary Measures When You Stop Smoking before an NYC Breast Lift
When you prepare for an NYC breast lift, a doctor will be cutting into critical areas, during which time the body will swell as part of the healing process. Blood should be able to flow freely around the area once it has been resealed. To speed along the healing process, you need compression garments that will encourage the body to heal. Unfortunately, it may be harder for your body to get rid of excess fluids after some surgeries than others.
While doctors don’t typically use drains after a breast lift, instead allowing the body to drain excess fluids naturally, this may be complicated by the effects of smoking. Much like a tummy tuck or other cosmetic procedures, the body may need extra help if you take aspirin shortly before the procedure, smoke, or otherwise do not follow your surgeon’s instructions. No matter how arbitrary they may seem at first, all instructions given are for your benefit as a patient.
For the average patient who takes a doctor’s recommendations into account, the healing process should be relatively smooth. If you smoke, though, you may find that there is also a higher risk of necrosis (skin cell death) that would require further surgeries to remove the skin while creating severe scarring because of the lack of oxygen and proper blood flow to the skin around the incision. There are other issues that you may notice more immediately as well.
Increase Anesthesia If You Smoke before the Best Breast Lift in NYC
If you are planning on smoking shortly before you go in for the best breast lift in NYC, you should also plan on more pain or more anesthesia. The European Society of Anesthesiology has established that smokers require 33% more anesthesia for any surgery. They also use 23% more pain medication after the fact.
It’s not just smokers who were affected by this change in anesthesia and painkillers. Even if you don’t smoke yourself, patients who are exposed to secondhand smoke need 20% more anesthesia, and they require 18% more painkillers to get the same effect.
This may be related, in part, to how much longer it takes for the body to heal when nicotine is restricting natural blood flow. For most, the effects are manageable, but depending on your health and other factors, complications could be devastating.
Don’t Smoke and Follow Directions for the Best Results after an NYC Breast Lift
If you are in NYC to talk to a doctor about a breast lift, consider all of the factors involved. Are you in the ideal shape, and are you done having kids? Once you get over that hurdle, you can review the things you will need to do to maximize the effectiveness of the procedure while simultaneously minimizing potential complications.
When you talk to an experienced surgeon, you can get a thorough explanation of what you can expect from surgery and what you need to do to get the ideal results. If you do this, there is every reason to believe that you will have a positive experience with an outcome that fits your needs as a patient.
If you would like to discuss your options or understand more about the breast lift process, click here and schedule a consultation with one of our experienced surgeons.