Description
The following video has been produced by horizon health network to help teach individuals about the risks of smoking around the time of surgery and about the stop smoking medications available please feel free to pause or rewind and real isten to the information at any time this video is not intended to replace the advice of your health care providers hi my name
Is pauline i’m a registered nurse at the perioperative clinic my name is ellen and i’m a pharmacist at the perioperative clinic hello my name is dr. john murphy i’m a vascular surgeon i deal with a lot of patients who deal with complications of smoking you will be meeting many of us in the preoperative clinic the goal is to make your surgery as safe as possible we
All believe it’s extremely important that you stop smoking to avoid complications after your surgery please stop smoking hi my name is jana and i’m a pharmacy student working with your team at horizon health network you’re probably listening to this video because you have a surgery coming up and you are a smoker whether you have a scheduled date for your surgery
Or you are unsure when your surgery will be you should start thinking about quitting smoking let’s begin by going over the reasons why it is important to stop smoking before your surgery quitting smoking before surgery ideally six to eight weeks before can have the following benefits less risk of surgical complications such as heart attack less chance of wound
Infection speedier wound-healing leading to a shorter stay in hospital less chance of being admitted to the intensive care unit or needing to go on a ventilator less chance of needing repeat surgery now you know why it is important to stop smoking before your surgery on top of lessening the risks i just mentioned let me share a few additional reasons that make
Right now a perfect time to stop smoking you might be more motivated to change your lifestyle right now studies show that undergoing major surgery approximately doubles the chances that a smoker will quit smoking many patients don’t crave nicotine around the time of surgery because there are so many other things to think about if you do get cravings after surgery
A team of healthcare professionals is there to help the hospital is a smoke-free space meaning you cannot smoke while you are in hospital after learning this information hopefully you would like to quit smoking before your surgery the longer the smoke-free period is before your surgery the better the canadian anesthesiologist society suggests that you stop smoking
At least one month before surgery and if you can’t do that at minimum stop smoking eight hours before surgery the first step in quitting is choosing a quit date on your own or with the help of a healthcare professional pick a quit day it should be a normal day that will not be of high stress quitting can be difficult this is because when you stop smoking it takes
Your body some time to adjust from the loss of nicotine medications may help make this time easier on you and your body in fact using a stop smoking medication doubles or even triples your chances of successfully quitting long-term let’s spend the next few minutes talking about the stop smoking medications available in canada and how to use them properly as you
Can see there are many different stop smoking medications available at your local pharmacy don’t let this overwhelm you these products all belong to the same family of medication called nicotine replacement therapy you do not need a prescription from your doctor for these products however it is strongly recommended that you talk to your doctor or pharmacist about
Using them nicotine replacement therapy is available in the form of a patch gum lozenges inhalers and mouth spray these products all work to help you stop smoking by controlling nicotine cravings and the withdrawal symptoms that may occur when you stop smoking nicotine patch first let’s discuss the nicotine patch nicotine patches are placed on a hairless clean dry
Area of skin on the upper body this includes the arm chest or back they are long-acting products meaning they continue to deliver a consistent amount of nicotine to your body throughout the day there are several different strengths available that contain various amounts of nicotine most patches are changed every 24 hours some may be changed more frequently than 24
Hours so check with the pharmacist you should change the location of the patch each day to lessen skin irritation and avoid reusing the same location for a week properly dispose of the nicotine patch by folding it over sticky sides together and placing it in the protective pouch of the new system there is enough nicotine left over to seriously injure a child or
Pet if ingested use a ziplock bag labeled return to pharmacy to dispose of the old patches and keep it out of reach and away from children and pets common side effects of the nicotine patch are local irritation headache and trouble sleeping the patch is normally used for eight to twelve weeks but may be used longer when necessary there are several other nicotine
Replacement therapy products available and they are all short-acting this means they work quickly to relieve cravings and also leave the body quickly short-acting nicotine replacement products include nicotine gum lozenges inhalers and mouth spray a short-acting product can be used at the same time as the patch to help control cravings if necessary they can also
Be used alone without the patch to quit smoking talk to your doctor or pharmacist to see if combining products might be a good option for you nicotine gum and lawson’s do not chew the gum as if it is regular gum bite the gum a few times to release the nicotine then park it between your cheek and gum repeat this every minute until the craving is gone for up to 20 to
30 minutes the nicotine is absorbed through the skin inside your mouth possible side effects of the nicotine gum include mouth soreness hiccups and jaw pain nicotine gum will also stick to dentures carefully dispose of the used nicotine gum once it has been thoroughly chewed it still has one half of the original amount of nicotine with the lawson’s let dissolve
In your mouth slowly moving it from side to side many lawson jizz will dissolve in about ten minutes while regular lawson jizz will last twenty to thirty minutes possible side effects of nicotine lozenges include nausea hiccups and heartburn avoid drinking coffee tea juice pop or alcohol fifteen minutes before or during use because these can block the effect of
The gum or loss and just nicotine inhaler the nicotine inhaler is another short-acting product that can be used to help with cravings many people like how using the inhaler feels similar to smoking a cigarette to use the inhaler line up the markers and pull each end in opposite directions insert a cartridge into the mouthpiece and twist to close securely take
Slow and shallow puffs to avoid throat burn don’t inhale as if it were a real cigarette the inhaler can be used for 5 to 20 minutes or until craving passes possible side effects of a nicotine inhaler are throat irritation headache and nausea nicotine mouth spray this is the newest short-acting nicotine product that helps with cravings to use this device push in
The black button on the back until you can slide it upwards and continue sliding until the top of the dispenser pops out press down on the top of the device to release a spray into your mouth it is to be sprayed directly in the mouth and not inhaled try not to swallow for a few seconds after you spray if you are using the mouse brain for the first time or have not
Used it in a few days spray into a tissue until a fine mist appears possible side effects of the nicotine mouth spray include tingling in the mouth taste changes and headache now you know all about nicotine replacement therapy remember you can start to use nicotine replacement therapy directly on your quit date if you feel like you are not ready to quit you can
Still use short-acting nicotine replacement therapy the inhaler gum lawson’s or mouth spray to help you smoke less the less you smoke the better although it is recommended that you quit smoking completely cutting back might be a good place to start talk to your doctor or pharmacist about how you can substitute one of these products for a cigarette there are two
Prescription medications used to help people quit smoking these medications are not for everyone if you would like to try one you should make an appointment with a doctor your doctor can decide if one of these options is safe and right for you let’s go over these two medications together chantix champ x also known as varenicline is an oral tablet this medication
Works by helping to control nicotine cravings and also make smoking less enjoyable it is usually started one to four weeks before your quit date so you will be taking the medication and smoking at first the medication is used for a total of 12 weeks and some people may need to use varenicline longer if you have certain medical conditions varenicline might not be
Appropriate for you talk to your doctor to find out if varenicline might be a good option for you zài ban zyban also known as bupropion is an oral tablet this medication was first used as an antidepressant and later found to help people stop smoking the appropriate works by helping to control cravings and withdrawal symptoms it is normally started at least a week
Before your quit date and used for a total of 12 weeks some people may need to use pre pro pre and longer if you have certain medical conditions the appropriate might not be appropriate for you please talk to your doctor pharmacist or nurse if you have any questions about the stop smoking medications we have just finished reviewing the risks of smoking around the
Time of surgery and about the stop smoking medications available in canada in addition to these medications there are other lifestyle modifications and tips you should be aware of when quitting here are just a few examples stay away from other smokers and places you associate with smoking get rid of all tobacco products and accessories such as matches lighters and
Ashtrays keep gum hard candy or something else to put in your mouth nearby when a cigarette craving comes try one of these instead remind family and friends that you are quitting and need their support make smoke free zones example your home garage and car review your reasons for quitting often and lastly don’t give up even if you temporarily start smoking again
It often takes more than one attempt before successfully quitting here are a couple final things to know smoking makes your body remove caffeine a lot faster than it does when you are not smoking so starting on your quit day cut back to half of your usual caffeine intake drinking less caffeine will help avoid symptoms like difficulty sleeping and jitteriness that
Can occur when you have too much caffeine in your body you can do this by cutting back on the number or size of caffeine servings you normally drink each day another option is to drink decaffeinated instead when quitting smoking you may find that you are hungrier than you used to be make a plan to have healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables ready to eat and
Find some time for activities that you can enjoy by yourself or with a friend thank you for watching this video on the importance of quitting smoking around the time of surgery i hope the information you have learned will make quitting easier for you good luck with quitting smoking and with your surgery remember to ask your doctor or pharmacist about any questions
Or concerns you may have
Transcribed from video
Quitting Smoking Around the Time of Surgery By Horizon Health Network – Réseau de santé Horizon