No, you should not have nicotine pouches before surgery. Nicotine pouches are known to elevate your heart rate and narrow your blood vessels. Using a nicotine pouch before surgery could negatively affect anesthesia, healing, or lead to complications in your surgery.
Ideally, you should stop using nicotine at least a week before surgery. This helps you reset your dopamine levels and flush the nicotine out of your system. We'll look at the science behind this in detail below.
Why Avoid Nicotine Pouches Before Surgery?
Nicotine is an addictive chemical that affects your body in various ways. The first effect of nicotine is narrowed blood vessels. This reduces the blood to vital organs like the eyes, heart, and bones around your body.
Patients who smoke are more likely to experience post-surgery complications, because of narrowed blood vessels. The decrease in blood flow also hinders the post-surgery healing process, especially in routines that influence the bones or vital organs.
While research on nicotine pouches is limited, and they are much safer than cigarettes. We would still advise against using them before or immediately after a surgery.
Can Nicotine Affect Anesthesia?
Nicotine users have elevated heart rates, which could negatively affect the anesthesia. Nicotine users may require a different concentration of anesthetic, based on how long they've been using the products for.
Administering the wrong amount of anesthesia could cause multiple problems during the surgery. For example, a patient could wake up during the surgery or they could fall into a coma. Please be transparent about your nicotine use with your doctor to avoid problems.
Effects Of Nicotine On Different Surgeries
Nicotine can cause various complications based on the type of surgery and procedure. Let's look at the main problems for each type of surgery:
Plastic Or Cosmetic Surgeries
Plastic surgery is the reconstruction or alteration of parts of the body through tissue transfer, for example, knee surgery. Nicotine significantly impacts your blood flow and active hemoglobin levels. It makes recovery after a surgery increasingly slow and could even lead to post-surgery issues.
Heart Or Other Vital Organ Surgeries
Nicotine, especially from smoking, can severely limit the oxygen levels in your body. Your lungs and heart are at the highest risk because both require a substantial amount of oxygen to function. You could experience bronchospasm or have a very slow healing rate, especially if you've had heart surgery.
Dental Surgeries
There is no major correlation between gum damage and nicotine pouches. The effects of nicotine on a dental surgery are minimal, however, it could still affect the anesthesia procedure. You could experience elevated blood pressure or other issues, which is why we would advise against their use close to surgery.
The same applies to using ZYNs after tooth extraction or other dental processes. The elevated sugar content and nicotine could impact the healing process. Wait for the wounds to heal before resuming nicotine pouches.
Impact Of Other Nicotine Products On Surgery
The effects of nicotine pouches on surgery, pale in comparison to the effects of other nicotine products. Let's look at some of these and understand the risks associated with each product:
Effects Of Cigarettes Before Surgery
Cigarettes are by far the most pernicious products for surgeries. Cigarette smoke can irritate your bronchi, decrease your blood flow, kill gut microbes, and increase phlegm. During a major surgery, this could spell disaster for long time smokers.
Apart from this, the carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke binds to hemoglobin. Smokers carry about 3 to 15% of dead hemoglobin because of increased carbon monoxide levels. It leads to a reduced blood flow and oxygen level, which means your body can't get the oxygen it needs during the surgical procedure.
Long-term smokers are also more likely to develop blood clots. Smokers also have a increased risk of developing post-surgery pneumonia because of this. The only upside is that smokers wake up more quickly after anesthesia because their livers are used to detoxifying their bodies.
Effects Of Snus Before Surgery
Snus is a tobacco product that you put under your lip. Unlike cigarettes and vapes, Snus does not produce smoke. However, it still contains tobacco and other toxins that can negatively affect your health before you undergo surgery.
For starters, snus or chewing tobacco can cause dry mouth and thickened saliva, which makes dental procedures and recovery much harder. Apart from this, the narrowed blood vessels can cause complications in oxygen saturation levels.
Effects of Dip Before Surgery
Dip is a type of loose snus that is used in Sweden. It's very popular in hardcare tobacco lovers, but it also increases the risk of different problems before and after the surgery. Dip is well known for its variable pH levels and high nicotine content, which can cause various dental issues.
You should never dip before or after a dental surgery because the drip could significantly impact the recovery. You should also avoid dip after heart, plastic, or other surgeries because it can influence your digestion, recovery, and anesthesia.
Effects Of Vapes and JUULs Before Surgery
Research published in the NCBI states that Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDs) do not improve the odds of surgery compared to cigarettes. E-cigarettes, vapes, and JUULs contain nicotine and oily substances like propylene glycol, THC, vitamin E, or glycerin.
These oily substances accumulate inside your body, and create phlegm. The irritated bronchi could lead to unnecessary concerns, like chronically inflamed lungs. Your lungs are constantly trying to reduce the oily stuff in vape smoke, which creates a mucus secretion.
Due to the excess mucus, passing tubes into your body becomes much more problematic. In the worst-case scenario, it could even cause complications that might require emergency measures.
Effects of Nicotine Gum Before Surgery
Nicotine gum is a form of NRT (Nicotine Replacement Therapy) that is prescribed to avid nicotine users. It's much safer than all the alternatives, but it still contains nicotine. It could have a negative impact on your recovery, anesthesia, and overall surgery.
Nevertheless, a doctor may prescribe it to some users, depending on their surgery. Always consult your doctor or a health care professional before using nicotine gum for a surgery.
When Should You Stop Using Nicotine Before Surgery?
In the best-case scenario, you should stop using nicotine at least 2 weeks before major surgeries. If that isn't possible, then you should try for at least 3 to 10 days. You can use nicotine gum and lozenges 24 hours before surgery.
For smokers, you should quit smoking a week before the surgery. Read our guide on how to stop smoking, if you need some pointers. The same applies to vaping and other tobacco-based products.
Once the surgery day starts, nothing should go inside your body apart from what the doctor or surgeon prescribes. You should eat healthy, get good sleep, and try to keep your body as healthy as possible to avoid complications.
3 Things Nicotine Users Need To Do Before A Surgery
Here are the three most important things that you need to do before going to a surgery:
- Stop Smoking and Ingesting Nicotine: Don't smoke and stop taking nicotine at least 3 to 4 weeks before the surgery. If you have a strong addiction, try to use nicotine gum or lozenges.
- Tell Your Doctor About Your Nicotine: Make sure you're doctor knows about your cigarette, vape, or any other nicotine product usage. It will help your doctor make the right choices regarding your surgery.
- Eat Healthy and Stay Happy: Eat healthy to keep your body active, and stay happy to keep your mind fresh. Having the appropriate mindset is the first step to a speedy recovery. Remember that your surgery is a stepping stone to your better health.
How Soon Can You Have Nicotine After Surgery?
You can have nicotine pouches after surgery when your wounds have healed, and you're discharged from the hospital. The time it takes for your wounds to heal depends on the type of surgery, and can vary from 3 days to 10 days.
Plastic surgery patients have the best recovery rates and can use nicotine pouches quickly. People who have had heart surgeries, should wait at least a few days before trying nicotine pouches again. For example, wait for the wounds to fill before using ZYN after a wisdom tooth extraction.
Never use nicotine after anesthesia because it could exacerbate the situation. Ask your doctor about your recovery timeline and when you can start using nicotine.
Conclusion: Can You Take Nicotine Pouches Before Surgery?
You should not take nicotine pouches or any other form of nicotine before surgery. In the best-case scenario, you should stop using nicotine 2 weeks before surgery. If that isn't possible, then at least give your body 3 to 10 days to flush out the nicotine because that's how long nicotine stays in your system.
Cigarettes and tobacco are by far the most harmful forms of nicotine. These can slow down the healing process and lead to complications during the surgery. Quit these before the surgery, to improve your odds of making a speedy recovery.
Finally, please follow the schedule laid down by your doctor or plastic surgeon. Following the right advice can save you from a lot of extra trouble and medical bills. Listen to your body's needs and eat healthy, to give yourself a better foothold and fighting chance.
