How Vaping And Cannabis Affect Surgery

Keep Your Anaesthetist In Mind

You put a great deal of thought into whether or not to have surgery. Once you’ve decided to go for it, you then put a great deal of thought into choosing your surgeon.

If you’re like most patients, you tend to think far less about the other highly qualified doctor you’ll be relying on – your anaesthetist. Once you’re in the operating room though, it’s this doctor who will be reassuring you, sedating you and ensuring you’re blissfully unaware of everything your surgeon is doing to you.

To do that vital job well, your anaesthetist needs to know about every substance in your system. That includes supplements, vitamins and prescription meds. It includes alcohol and nicotine. And it includes cannabis and e-cigarettes. That’s because all of these substances can affect how you respond to the anaesthetic both during and after surgery. Let’s take a look.

What’s In A Vape?

E-cigarettes or vapes are battery-powered devices. They contain cartridges filled with liquids containing substances such as nicotine, flavourings, alcohol, cannabis (THC oil) or various other toxic chemicals which are heated until they turn into a vapour that you inhale.

Despite calls from doctors, educators, parents and politicians to restrict it, vaping is becoming increasingly popular in Australia. For some, it’s a helpful way to quit smoking. For most, though, it’s a gateway towards smoking.

The really tricky thing with vaping is that we don’t know what’s in it. The Lung Foundation reports that 100% of e-cigarettes are inaccurately labelled and 100% contain chemicals with unknown effects on your respiratory health.

What Does Your Anaesthetist Do?

Your anaesthetist is responsible for sedating you (generally or locally), relieving pain, keeping you breathing during your op, and resuscitating you if anything goes wrong.

To do that, they prescribe very powerful drugs that knock you out. You might inhale these or be injected with them. Either way, they kick in quickly, enabling you to experience the benefits of surgery without the pain.

But not all drugs can safely be taken together. If your anaesthetist doesn’t know what’s in your system, they’re not able to make well-informed decisions about which drugs to give you. It’s a bit like cooking a chilli without knowing that someone’s already added lots of spice.

How Does Vaping Nicotine Products Affect Surgery?

Nicotine is one of the most common ingredients in vapes. For years now, we’ve known that nicotine and surgery don’t mix well. When it comes to surgery, nicotine use means:   

• Increased risk of surgical complications
• Reduced oxygen absorption
• Poorer wound healing
• Higher infection risk
• Greater discomfort in recovery.

In an ideal world, all patients would quit smoking several weeks before surgery but even 12-24 hours without smoking can improve your body’s ability to deliver oxygen where it’s needed.

How Does Cannabis Affect Surgery?

Like nicotine, some people smoke cannabis and some people vape it. Either way, you’re ingesting the same substance – and it has the same effect on your experience of surgery.

However you take it, cannabis alters your physiology. It increases your risk of problems with your heart and breathing during surgery. It makes common anaesthetics like propofol and opiods less effective, meaning you may need higher doses of drugs to knock you out. And it increases the likelihood of pain and nausea after surgery.

How Do You Tell Your Anaesthetist About Vaping Or E-cigarettes?

Your anaesthetist is a flawed and complicated human being, just like you. They’re not there to judge or criticise you. They just need you to be honest so that they can make the right clinical decisions to help get you through surgery as smoothly as possible.

We know such conversations aren’t always comfortable but they can make a big difference to your surgical outcomes. Please tell your doctors about any substances you’re taking.

How Can We Help?

If your operation is coming up, we encourage you to quit smoking or vaping. For help and support, call Quitline on 13 QUIT (13 7848) to talk to a counsellor or request a callback. It’s one of the best things you can do to prepare for your operation.

Dr Phil Lockie and his team have supported many people through bariatric surgery and understand the feelings that you may experience prior to your op. We work alongside trusted, compassionate anaesthetists who want to care for you to the best of their ability. We encourage you to be completely honest with them about any substances you may be taking so that they can care for you properly.

Contact us today.

DisclaimerAll information is general and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Dr Phil Lockie can consult with you to confirm if a particular treatment is right for you. Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks.