Prospective study of skin surgery in smokers vs. nonsmokers

Abstract

Smokers and nonsmokers suffer skin surgery complications similarly. The increased risk of contour distortion identified was difficult to interpret. Advice to cease smoking in the short term to improve outcomes with skin cancer surgery is not supported by these data.

Complications with forehead flaps in nasal reconstruction

“…Nicotine has been shown to have vasoconstrictive effects 10. Clinical evidence with flaps, on the other hand, remains less straightforward 11–13. Although our findings linking smoking to flap necrosis are significant, this is a retrospective chart review, and specific details of patients' smoking habits could not be elucidated.…”

Topical antibiotic prophylaxis for prevention of surgical wound infections from dermatologic procedures: a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…The recommended classification for prescribing oral antibiotics to diabetics undergoing high-risk outpatient dermatologic surgeries to prevent postoperative wound infections is grade 2A, based on moderate-quality level B evidence from one prospective cohort study that diabetics are at an increased risk of developing postsurgical wound infections when compared to non-diabetics (25). Also based on moderate-quality level B evidence from one prospective cohort study (26), the recommended classification for not prescribing antibiotics to smokers at normal risk of developing infection as a prophylactic measure to prevent postsurgical wound infections from outpatient dermatologic procedures is grade 2A. This study had several strengths.…”

Preoperative Smoking Status and Postoperative Complications

“…When summarizing the results, the risk of experiencing postoperative bleedings did not differ significantly between preoperative smokers and nonsmokers neither in the overall metaanalysis (RR = 1.18, 95% CI: 0.79-1.78) 14,37,38,50,100,115,116 nor in the meta-analysis in which only the adjusted RRs were included (RR = 1.34, 95% CI: 0.59-3.07) ( Table 3). When summarizing the results, the risk of experiencing postoperative bleedings did not differ significantly between preoperative smokers and nonsmokers neither in the overall metaanalysis (RR = 1.18, 95% CI: 0.79-1.78) 14,37,38,50,100,115,116 nor in the meta-analysis in which only the adjusted RRs were included (RR = 1.34, 95% CI: 0.59-3.07) ( Table 3).…”