How many days minimum before standard surgery?

6 to 8 weeks is ideal. 2 to 4 weeks still bring noticeable benefit. 24 to 72 hours at least clear the CO and the nicotine.

Is it true for dental surgery / implants too?

Yes, particularly. Tobacco multiplies dental implant failures (around 6-15 % in smokers vs 2-3 % in non-smokers). Many dentists refuse to place implants in persistent smokers.

And cosmetic surgery?

Plastic surgeons often insist on quitting 6-8 weeks before and after — for facelifts, breast implants, reconstructions. Otherwise the risk of skin necrosis is multiplied.

Will the anaesthetist refuse to operate if I smoke?

Not usually, except for elective high-risk surgery. But they will insist on quitting and advise on replacements.

Vape before surgery, yes or no?

An acceptable compromise if you cannot stop completely. Ideally also stop 24-72 h before the operation. Better than the cigarette for sure.

Smoking and wound healing: why surgeons insist on you quitting before an operation

Tobacco multiplies post-operative complications by 2-3: delayed healing, infections, wound dehiscence. Quitting 6-8 weeks before surgery changes everything.

May 15, 2026 Aria

The scientific basis on quitting smoking was reviewed on a voluntary basis by Pr. Bertrand Dautzenberg , a tobacco specialist, in order to rule out gross, potentially dangerous errors. It reflects positions commonly shared by health professionals and health agencies, without always corresponding exactly to his thinking or his practice. He is not the author of this text; he has only carried out a vigilance review of it.

You have a planned operation, and the surgeon asks you to quit smoking 6-8 weeks beforehand. It is not moralism. Tobacco multiplies post-operative complications by 2-3, and the pre-operative quit window is one of the most cost-effective in public health.

Why tobacco complicates healing

× 2 to 3 Post-operative complications (healing, infections, wound dehiscence) are 2 to 3 times more frequent in smokers than non-smokers.

Cochrane Review, Thomsen et al., 2014

What concrete risks in surgery

Pre-operative quitting: how long before?

24 hours carbon monoxide is cleared. Immediate benefit for tissue oxygenation.
48-72 hours nicotine has left the body. Vasoconstriction reduced.
2 weeks airway inflammation drops, bronchial cilia restart.
4-6 weeks skin healing and respiratory function approach a non-smoker's.
6-8 weeks post-op risk back close to a non-smoker.

Pre-operative quitting at 6-8 weeks is one of the most cost-effective public-health interventions. It cuts complications, shortens hospital stays and improves prognoses — for negligible cost.

Selon les pneumologues

Myth vs reality

And after the operation?

Quitting should continue at least 3 weeks after soft-tissue surgery, and 3 months for bone surgery, the time needed for healing — and ideally permanently. Restarting cigarettes during recovery strongly raises the risk of late complications.

In United Kingdom

Your questions

How many days minimum before standard surgery?

6 to 8 weeks is ideal. 2 to 4 weeks still bring noticeable benefit. 24 to 72 hours at least clear the CO and the nicotine.
Is it true for dental surgery / implants too?

Yes, particularly. Tobacco multiplies dental implant failures (around 6-15 % in smokers vs 2-3 % in non-smokers). Many dentists refuse to place implants in persistent smokers.
And cosmetic surgery?

Plastic surgeons often insist on quitting 6-8 weeks before and after — for facelifts, breast implants, reconstructions. Otherwise the risk of skin necrosis is multiplied.
Will the anaesthetist refuse to operate if I smoke?

Not usually, except for elective high-risk surgery. But they will insist on quitting and advise on replacements.
Vape before surgery, yes or no?

An acceptable compromise if you cannot stop completely. Ideally also stop 24-72 h before the operation. Better than the cigarette for sure.

sources

Thomsen T, Villebro N, Møller AM, Interventions for preoperative smoking cessation, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2014.
Société Française d'Anesthésie-Réanimation (SFAR), Recommendations on perioperative smoking, 2023.
Pluvy I et al., Smoking and plastic surgery: a comprehensive review, Annales de Chirurgie Plastique Esthétique, 2015.
WHO, Tobacco and Postsurgical Outcomes, technical report.