Unless treated in time, any wound may be infected, even a small surgical incision. Infection can spread to peripheral organs or infect other parts of the body through blood. Infection can prevent wound healing, disability and even death. Susceptible groups include AIDS, diabetes or cancer patients, obese people, the elderly and smokers.
Smokers are not only susceptible to infection, but also difficult to recover. Smoking will reduce the number of wound repair cells, and carbon monoxide in smoke will also reduce the amount of oxygen needed for wound repair. The materials needed for wound repair need to be transported to the wound through blood. However, nicotine in smoke will constrict blood vessels, making the wound lack blood supply. Studies have shown that smoking can delay the healing of various wounds. For example, a study found that smoking can delay the healing of bedsores. After the impacted wisdom teeth are extracted, smoking will also delay the healing speed of the wound.
Compared with non-smokers, smokers are more likely to burst the incision of laparotomy. For smokers, the success rate of skin transplantation is not high. In cosmetic surgery (including face lifting surgery, breast lifting surgery and abdominal plastic surgery), skin and subcutaneous tissue are separated to form a flap. Smoking will reduce the survival rate of skin flap and greatly reduce the cosmetic effect. If you quit smoking before and after the operation, the chances of successful operation will be greatly increased. If you stop smoking after an injury, the wound will heal quickly.
The slower the wound heals, the bigger the scar it leaves. Research shows that under the same wound area, smokers leave more scars than non-smokers. Beauty experts can sometimes repair scars and make them smaller. In scar repair, the doctor removes the scar and sutures the incision again. However, if you smoke, there is little hope of repairing the scar.