Long‐term effects of a preoperative smoking cessation programme

Authors:
Publisher website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Introduction:  Preoperative smoking intervention programmes reduce post‐operative complications in smokers. Little is known about the long‐term effect upon smoking cessation.Aim:  To discover long‐term quit rates and the reasons behind successful cessation.Materials and Methods:  101 one of 120 smokers, randomised to smoking intervention or no intervention before hip and knee surgery, completed questionnaires concerning smoking after 1 year. We selected representative men and women for focus group interviews.Results:  Significantly more patients from the intervention group abstained from smoking for 1 year post‐operatively [13 in 60 patients (22%) vs 2 in 60 (3%), P < 0.01]. Sex (male), low nicotine dependency, non‐smoking spouse and preoperative smoking intervention were related to smoking cessation. All patients gave the same reasons for smoking cessation: improved health and saving money. Follow‐up for 5 years showed 17% of the controls and 8% in the intervention group (P = 0.42) had died.Conclusion:  The intervention group had a significantly higher quit rate 1 year after a preoperative smoking cessation programme.Please cite this paper as: Villebro NM, Pedersen T, Møller AM and Tønnesen H. Long‐term effects of a preoperative smoking cessation programme. The Clinical Respiratory Journal 2008; 2: 175–182.

This publication has 20 references indexed in Scilit: