The implications of vaping on surgical wound healing: A systematic review
Abstract
BACKGROUND
E-cigarette use is rapidly growing, and little is known about the postoperative complications. Cigarette smoking has been well-established to be associated with delayed wound healing and increased complications in surgical patients. Due to the intricate and harmonious nature of the wound-healing process, vaping may impair tissue regeneration, posing a risk for patients undergoing surgery. This systematic review aimed to review the evidence on the implications of vaping on wound healing.
METHODS
A systematic search of PubMed and Scopus databases was conducted on October 2022 per Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The following keywords were used to conduct the search: vaping, vape, e-cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, wound healing, tissue regeneration, postoperative complications, wound infection, and blood flow.
RESULTS
Of 5,265 screened articles, only 37 were eligible for qualitative synthesis. A total of 18 articles studied the effect of e-cigarettes on human volunteers, 14 investigated e-cigarette extract on human cell lines, and 5 used animal rat models.
CONCLUSION
Despite limited objective data, the recommendation is that e-cigarettes be treated as tobacco cigarettes; hence, vaping should be stopped in the perioperative period to decrease the incidence of wound healing complications. Clinical trials are required to understand the health hazards of e-cigarettes further and maximize patient safety and clinical…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a systematic review, done in people. Its evidence level is 1 of 5 (Highest · pooled evidence). Pooled evidence from several studies sits at the top of the evidence pyramid.
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