Pathophysiology of nicotine, place of nicotine substitutes and electronic cigarettes in plastic surgery: A review of the literature

Abstract

Objective: Smokers are more likely to undergo postoperative complications after plastic surgeries. Our main purpose was to update nicotine's effects after plastic surgeries and assess whether nicotine-replacement therapy and vaping are safe enough to be recommended in peri-operatory circumstances.

Methods: We set up a literature review including 40 documents from 1986 to 2020 available on Pubmed.

Results: Nicotine has undeniable detrimental effects on patients undergoing plastic surgeries like cutaneous necrosis, skin flap failure and surgical site infection. Nevertheless, this toxicity seems to depend on the plasma concentration of nicotine and thus on the way of administration. While smoking is definitely harmful, nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) like patches and gums do not appear to increase postoperative risks based on available studies. The situation is different with the electronic cigarette since the pharmacokinetic parameters are close to those of the traditional cigarette. Even if powerful studies are lacking because the device is recent, preliminary in vitro studies and case reports suggest non-zero surgical risks for e-cigarette users.

Conclusion: It seems more appropriate to suggest stopping all nicotine intake before and after plastic surgery. However, if strict cessation is not achievable, it appears preferable to use nicotine replacement therapies rather than e-cigarettes and most of all tobacco.

Keywords: Chirurgie plastique; Cigarette électronique; Electronic cigarette; Nicotine replacement therapy; Plastic surgery; Smoking; Substituts nicotiniques; Tabac.