A member asked:

Does smoking make my wound healed slower?

16 doctors weighed in across 4 answers
Dr. Michael Zadeh answered

Specializes in General Surgery

Yes: Adequate blood flow is a vital component for any type of wound healing. Normal blood flow delivers oxygen and essential nutrients to the wound, which help it heal in a timely manner. Smoking chronically reduces the amount of blood flow to the wound and deprives it of oxygen and nutrients. Toxins in tobacco products prevent the cells involved in wound healing from doing their job properly.

Answered 10/24/2017

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Yes: Yes yes yes. Many plastic surgeons refuse to do procedures on smokers for this reason. Smoking causes poor blood flow to the wound, as well as other things. Quitting tobacco is one of the best decisions anyone can make.

Answered 10/24/2017

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And yes again...: Nicotine competes for oxygen on hemoglobin - which means there is less oxygen at the tissue level for healing.

Answered 5/12/2016

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Oh my yes: Smoking affects wound healing in so many ways, for starters carbon monoxide and nicotine both bind to hemoglobin better than oxygen does greatly reducing available oxygen directly. Smoking causes blood vessels to constrict reducing blood flow further. Sometimes this can be so bad people loose fingers, arms and legs (look up buerger's disease), and i haven't even gotten to the long term effects.

Answered 11/27/2017

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