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Can occasional smoking affect my tummy tuck results?

A reader on RealSelf.com asks, “Will smoking as little as 2 or 3 cigarettes a day have an effect on my Tummy tuck?”

The answer is yes. Smoking greatly increases the risk of complications after your tummy tuck. Problems you definitely want to avoid can occur: poor healing, incisions opening up, skin necrosis, and more.

In fact, Dr. Basu will not perform a tummy tuck (an elective procedure) in an active smoker. He makes sure his patients have been tobacco free 4-6 weeks before surgery. We also perform a urine nicotine test to make sure the effects of the nicotine are gone.

It’s often hard to kick the habit, so we also recommend that a smoker see their primary care physician to get formal assistance with smoking cessation programs.

As you probably know, quitting is not only important for your tummy tuck, it’s good for you anyway. Smokers should consider cessation the first step towards a flatter tummy.