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

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 4 weeks after surgery for healing, and ideally permanently. Restarting cigarettes during recovery strongly raises 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.