Can I vape before an operation ?

Just asking this question might seem strange to most of us, given that eating, drinking and smoking are normally prohibited before a general anaesthetic.

Nevertheless, smonking doesn't mean vaping !

It is far better to vape than to smoke, not for nothing that tobacco packs indicate "smoking kills", "smoking makes you impotent", "harms your child health" and other things, because it is true.

Indeed, the effects of vaping on health are weak and limited compared to those with traditional cigarettes.

Many people have confirmed in a survey that abstainig from food and drink before surgery can be overcome. But not vaping all morning before an operation, when you're trying to quit smoking for good, seems more complicated.

Why is it forbidden to vape before surgery ?

In 2015, a study showed that cigarette smoke has no impact on the volume of a patient's gastric contents, unlike eating and drinking, which was long thought to be the case. As a result, no differences could be observed after vaping an electronic cigarette, since vapour is inhaled rather than smoke. Since then, it has been clearly demonstrated that the components in the vapor in no way interfere with the gastric sphere. What's more, e-cigarette vapor contains no carbon monoxide (CO) and therefore does not interfere with oxygen transport during recovery.

Other studies support this conclusion, with the Société Française d'Anesthésie et de Réanimation and the Société Française de Tabacologie giving thought in 2016 to defining the reasons for this ban, namely the consequences of vaping on the patient prior to anesthesia.

As a result, no scientific argument has been put forward to support the idea that a ban on vaping before anaesthesia is justified, and this would require a full re-examination, according to Professor Bertrand Dureuil.

However, the decision whether or not to vapourize in the pre-operative or post-operative phase cannot be taken at random, but must be made by the anaesthetist concerned, on a patient-by-patient and case-by-case basis whenever possible.

BAR à DIY Team