Smokers have more complications after skin cancer surgery, says study

Complications after skin cancer surgery may be more common in smokers and former smokers, a US study suggests.

Researchers examined outcomes after “Mohs reconstruction,” a procedure to remove a skin cancer lesion. Once the cancer is removed, often from the head or neck, surgeons may close the site using a flap made from surrounding tissue or a graft of skin taken from another area of the body.

For the study, researchers examined outcomes for 1,008 patients who had Mohs reconstruction with flaps or grafts, including 128 current smokers and 385 former smokers.

Compared to people who never smoked, current smokers were more than nine times as likely to have complications like infections, clots known as hematomas, uncontrolled bleeding or dead skin tissue. Ex-smokers were more than three times as likely to have these acute complications.
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