July 16, 2018
Did you know that patients who smoke and have a joint replacement surgery are 10X more likely to need a joint revision (meaning that the surgeries had to be redone)! Smokers also have a significantly higher rate of complications including infection, poor wound healing, blood clots, abnormal heartbeat, irregular heartbeat, urinary tract infection, and kidney failure. So why does this happen? Nicotine constructs blood vessels so wounds get less oxygen and healing nutrients! With less blood flow, the wound also receives fewer protective white blood cells resulting in increased risks of infection. Don’t be surprised if your surgeon requests that you quit smoking prior to your surgery!
credit Dorothy Foltz-Gray
Posted in Blog