Prof. Dr. Bingür Sönmez explained that smoking paves the way for heart diseases and that those patients had serious lung infections after surgery. Here are the warnings of the famous heart surgeon…
Famous heart surgeon Prof. Bingür Sönmez gave very important information, emphasizing that smoking after open heart surgery is more harmful. “Smoking is one of the most important accelerating factors in coronary heart diseases.” warned Prof. Sönmez said:
“It is also a habit that causes serious complications after surgery because it directly affects the lungs. We do not have the chance to say, “I do not operate on smokers.” Because we are not an institution that judges and punishes. We have to operate on every patient. However, we are really worried and saddened about open heart surgeries on patients who smoke. Because we apply a 1 to 3 week program to prepare these patients for surgery. We give medications to relieve phlegm and dilate the bronchi. “We are trying to ensure that they do not smoke.”
IF YOU DO NOT OPERATE ON A SMOKING PATIENT, WILL HE DIE OF A HEART ATTACK?
“Operating on a patient who smokes; There are those who think that it causes the state’s money to be wasted, strains the system, and other people’s rights are violated. “As physicians, we do not have the right to make such comments.” said Prof. Bingür Sönmez added the following:
“Yes, we are very hesitant to operate on patients who smoke, but we explain to the family or the patient at length about the complications that may occur after the surgery. If they accept this, we definitely perform the surgery. Among these patients, we also have patients who are addicted to smoking and cannot even quit smoking on the morning of the surgery. If we say to this patient, “You smoke, I will not operate on you,” there is a high probability that we will lose this patient due to a heart complication. “The patient may die from a heart attack.”
PATIENTS THAT SMOKE EXPERIENCE GREAT TROUBLES AFTER OPEN HEART SURGERY
“Patients who smoke experience more lung complications than non-smokers. Considering today’s modern cardiac surgery facilities, we no longer experience any direct heart-related problems if a good surgery is performed either on the operating table or in the intensive care unit. “Our problems are always non-cardiac organ problems, the first of which is the lungs.” Famous heart surgeon Prof. warned: Bingür Sönmez stated the following:
“The time a patient who smokes one or two packs of cigarettes a day stays in intensive care after surgery increases 3 times compared to a patient who does not smoke at all. A non-smoking patient stays in intensive care for one night, and a smoker stays in intensive care for 1 to 3 days. Since these people have a very high risk of developing lung infection, patients can stay in intensive care for weeks. “In addition, since patients who smoke will cough a lot, the healing of chest wounds and sternum becomes seriously problematic.”
WE HAVE NO TOLERANCE
“We have no tolerance for our patients to start smoking again after surgery.” DIyen Prof. Sönmez continued his statements as follows:
“According to a study we conducted on 1500 patients in the past, 45 percent of the patients we operated on while still smoking started smoking again within three months. These patients do not smoke out of fear after surgery, but the first cigarette smoked within the first three months means the rest will follow.
The damage caused by smoking is much greater in women than in men. Because smoking breaks down the estrogen hormone. This causes women to enter menopause earlier and suffer from more severe heart diseases. Women have more difficulty quitting smoking than men. A female patient who smokes recovers later than a male patient who smokes. Post-operative problems are 2 – 2.5 times more common than men. Wound problems, bone healing is delayed, lung problems occur a lot. “Since women’s veins are thinner and their leg veins are varicose, many more problems arise due to smoking.”
Prof. Bingür Sönmez also said, “Do you have a chance not to operate on a patient who smokes?” He gave the following answer to the question:
“It is not possible for us to take a punitive attitude such as not operating on patients who smoke. However, we are very concerned about open heart surgeries on patients who smoke. “Especially female patients who smoke have very long recovery periods after surgery.”
