Nicotine causes vasoconstriction of blood vessels which
results in decreased blood flow to the skin. Any procedure that requires the
elevation of skin flaps can be adversely impacted by this phenomenon. For this
reason we generally recommend that patients not use nicotine products for four
to six weeks prior to surgery. This includes cigarettes, nicorette gum, patches
or anything else that contains nicotine.
It’s important to understand that every patient’s situation
is unique. For this reason, this approach may require modification from time to
time based on the patients particular needs. Under these circumstances it’s
always important to consider the patients risk benefit ratio.
