A person who smokes and needs orthopedic surgery will probably hear strong encouragement from the orthopedic doctor quit before the operation. There are several important reasons why an orthopedic doctor practicing Sports Medicine in Commerce TX worries about operating on a person who smokes. In fact, some orthopedic surgeons will not operate on smokers who need specific types of operations because of the potential risks.
After an operation, healing tends to be slower in people who haven’t quit before surgery. The problem is worsened if they continue to smoke after they get home. The tissues may have trouble bonding because of low oxygen in the blood and an inability to effectively use the oxygen. Nicotine also narrows blood vessels, which reduces the flow of blood that brings oxygen and important nutrients for healing. Those narrowed vessels pose the added problem of not being as effective in speedily carrying waste products away from a site that needs to heal. You can visit here to get more information.
Smokers may deal with worse post-surgical pain than non-smokers. Unfortunately, that pain may become chronic. They may feel that something went wrong during the operation, when in fact, the chemicals in smoking products are to blame. Even smokers who have not had surgery are more likely to develop chronic pain.
A particularly troublesome risk that concerns doctors of Sports Medicine in Commerce TX is the greater likelihood of infection after an operation. White blood cells known as neutrophils are essential for staving off infection. They identify and zero in on harmful bacteria, consuming it and eliminating it. However, the chemicals in tobacco smoke make neutrophils less effective. That puts smokers at higher risk of wound infection, and those infections can be life-threatening. In addition, a person who smokes is at significantly greater risk of developing life-threatening pneumonia or a stroke after surgery.
Smokers will have best results with their orthopedic surgery if they quit, at least, a month before the appointment at a facility such as Paris Orthopedic Clinic PA, and continue to refrain from smoking throughout their recovery time. This is an excellent opportunity for someone to quit smoking altogether since it is well-known that the behavior is associated with many serious health problems.
