“Is anesthesia safe for life-long smokers?”

It is usually advisable to stop smoking for at least 2 weeks before surgery. This allows the cilia in your airways to regroup and be able to clear your secretions. Smokers have hyper reactive airways and would this behave like an asthmatic under anesthesia, should you be put off to sleep. Remember that if you stop smoking for 2 months, then your lungs behave as a normal non smokers lungs under anesthesia. Smoking also tends to delay wound healing which is why surgeons also recommend that you stop smoking. If your airways are reactive intraoperatively, you could end up with negative pressure pulmonary edema which is temporary, but usually requires and overnight stay in ICU on a ventilator (worst case scenario).

Yes. Smokers have COPD and that poses certain risks. But in general, anesthesia is safe for smokers.

The risk of anesthesia is higher for long-term chronic heavy smokers compared to non-smokers. Stopping smoking before surgery will reduce the risks. Quitting 4–6 weeks before your operation and staying smoke-free 4 weeks after it can decrease your rate of wound complications by 50 percent.

Yi-Hwa Outerbridge, MD