Many smokers depend on the stimulating effects of nicotine. These can include boosting your mood, improving short-term memory and concentration, and producing a sense of well-being.
However, by quitting tobacco before your surgery, you are more likely to have a successful surgery and recovery.
Most smokers in the United States would like to quit smoking. Most people who have quit smoking have made at least one unsuccessful quit attempt in the past. Try to view past attempts to quit as learning experiences, not failures.
After knee replacement surgery, there is an increased chance of blood clots forming in the legs. These clots may travel to the lungs. Smoking increases the risk of blood clots forming.
When you smoke, less oxygen reaches the cells in your surgical wound. As a result, your wound may heal slowly and may even become infected.
All smokers are at risk for heart and lung problems. Even when your knee replacement surgery goes smoothly, it places more demand on your body, heart, and lungs.
Surgery and anesthesia may cause congestion in the lungs (atelectasis). The risk of lung congestion is greatly increased in smokers.
When used for a long time, tobacco and chemicals such as tar and nicotine can increase your risk of many health problems:
Some smokers will switch to smokeless tobacco instead of quitting tobacco completely. However, there are other risks with smokeless tobacco:
Most doctors want you to stop cigarettes and tobacco at least 4 weeks before your knee replacement. Do not be discouraged, even if you have smoked for a long time. Quitting smoking 10 weeks or more before surgery can lower your risk of problems even more.
Quitting tobacco is not easy. It can be even harder if you are trying to do it on your own. There are many ways to quit smoking and many resources to help you.
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons clinical practice guideline on treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee. 2nd ed. Rosemont (IL): American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS); 2013 May 18.
Bannuru RR, Schmid CH, Kent DM, Vaysbrot EE, Wong JB, McAlindon TE. Comparative effectiveness of pharmacologic interventions for knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. Ann Intern Med. 2015;162(1):46-54. PMID: 25560713 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25560713.
Bennell KL, Buchbinder R, Hinman RS. Physical therapies in the management of osteoarthritis: current state of the evidence. Curr Opin Rheumatol. 2015;27(3):304-311. PMID: 25775185 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25775185.
Crenshaw AH. Soft tissue procedures and corrective osteotomies about the knee. In: Azar FM, Beatty JH, Canale ST, eds. Campbell's Operative Orthopaedics. 13th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2017:chap 9.
Duivenvoorden T, Brouwer RW, van Raaij TM, Verhagen AP, Verhaar JA, Bierma-Zeinstra SM. Braces and orthoses for treating osteoarthritis of the knee. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015;3:CD004020. PMID: 25773267 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25773267.
Fransen M, Agaliotis M, Nairn L, et al; LEGS study collaborative group. Glucosamine and chondroitin for knee osteoarthritis: a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial evaluating single and combination regimens. AnnRheum Dis. 2015;74(5):851-8. PMID: 24395557 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24395557.
Groen VA, van de Graaf VA, Scholtes VA, Sprague S, van Wagensveld BA, Poolman RW. Effects of bariatric surgery for knee complaints in (morbidly) obese adult patients: a systematic review. Obes Rev. 2015;16(2):161-170. PMID: 25487972 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25487972.
Hochberg MC, Altman RD, April KT, et al. American College of Rheumatology 2012 recommendations for the use of nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic therapies in osteoarthritis of the hand, hip, and knee. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2012;64(4):465-474. PMID: 22563589 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22563589.
Lieberman JR, Engstrom SM, Solovyova O, Au C, Grady JJ. Is intra-articular hyaluronic acid effective in treating osteoarthritis of the hip joint? J Arthroplasty. 2015;30(3):507-511. PMID: 25542833 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25542833.
Malagelada F, Vega J, Golano P, Beynnon B, Ertem F. Knee anatomy and biomechanics of the knee. In: Miller MD, Thompson SR, eds. DeLee and Drez’s Orthopaedic Sports Medicine. 4th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2015:chap 91.
Mascioli AA. Arthrodesis the knee. In: Azar FM, Beatty JH, Canale ST, eds. Campbell's Operative Orthopaedics. 13th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2017:chap 8.
Mihalko WM. Arthroplasty of the knee. In: Azar FM, Beatty JH, Canale ST, eds. Campbell's Operative Orthopaedics. 13th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2017:chap 7.
Moyer RF, Birmingham TB, Bryant DM, Giffin JR, Marriott KA, Leitch KM. Valgus bracing for knee osteoarthritis: a meta-analysis of randomized trials. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2015;67(4):493-501. PMID: 25201520 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25201520.
Paluska SA. Knee braces. In: Pfenninger JL, Fowler GC, eds. Pfenninger and Fowler's Procedures for Primary Care. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Mosby; 2011:chap 193.
Percope de Andrade MA, Campos TV, Abreu-E-Silva GM. Supplementary methods in the nonsurgical treatment of osteoarthritis. Arthroscopy. 2015;31(4):785-792. PMID: 25633815 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25633815.
Silverwood V, Blagojevic-Bucknall M, Jinks C, Jordan JL, Protheroe J, Jordan KP. Current evidence on risk factors for knee osteoarthritis in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2015;23(4):507-515. PMID: 25447976 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25447976.
The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.