Dr. Darshan Shah, one of the most well known plastic surgeons in Bakersfield, was quoted in a recent New York Times story on smoking and plastic surgery.
The story, "Want a Face-Lift? First, Better Stop Smoking," ran Thursday in the newspaper.
“Nicotine causes the tiny blood vessels in the skin to clamp down or constrict, which reduces blood supply to the skin,” Shah said in the story.
It goes on to say:
Margaret Pyles, 42, a human resources director for youth homes in Bakersfield, first went to Dr. Shah in 2004, looking to have a breast reduction. He told her that she needed to quit a minimum of 30 days before the surgery. A pack-a-day smoker since 16, she couldn’t face battling her addiction yet again.
But once her back pain grew constant, and her abdominal muscles too flabby for her taste, Ms. Pyles went back to Dr. Shah last month for a breast reduction and lift as well as a tummy tuck and liposuction. But not before she quit smoking with the help of Chantix and a hypnotist Dr. Shah recommended.
Both helped her overcome nicotine, she said, but fear really kept her on track. “I was afraid the anesthesia would go wrong, or I’d wake up coughing my head off and split my guts open,” she said. “And I was able to stop.”
Ms. Pyles, who has not lit up again, is thrilled that her desire to turn back the clock may help prolong her life. “I was so focused on wanting the breast reduction more than I wanted the cigarette,” she said.
For more info on the dangerous mix of smoking and surgery, read this article on the American Society of Plastic Surgeons' Web site.
Also, Shah has an article on his site about this hazard.
