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Quitting smoking for surgery has long-term rewards

Respiratory Care Weekly, February 15, 2006

Smokers who quit before surgery or who never smoked at all tend to recover faster and more completely, according to a review of studies in the February issue of Anesthesiology.

It also appears to be a smoker's best chance overall to quit for good, say researchers, who add that after surgery smokers seem to suffer fewer nicotine withdrawal symptoms.

"For people who have thought about quitting smoking, the time of their surgery is a good opportunity to do so," said lead author David O. Warner, MD, a Mayo Clinic anesthesiologist in Rochester, MN. "Abstaining from cigarettes promotes faster healing and less risk of wound infection, plus the patient may be in an ideal position to avoid nicotine withdrawal [symptoms]."

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