E-Cigs and Cardiothoracic Surgeons

The life of a cardiothoracic surgeon is one which requires a considerable amount of skill. It does also bring with it a certain level of medical expertise that means that when they talk, people start to listen.

But do these types of professionals advocate the use of electronic cigarettes? Well, yes they do. It’s interesting to note, but there are examples of people who have gone on record and suggested that respected sources indicate electric cigarettes can do some good. Let’s take a look at this. 

A Well-Known Study

One of the most well-known collections of thoughts in the industry comes from “Electronic Cigarettes and Smoking Cessation in the Perioperative Period of Cardiothoracic Surgery: Views of Australian Clinicians”.

To quote their research on the topic, “For patients who smoke, electronic cigarettes may offer a pathway to achieve tobacco abstinence and reduce the risk of postoperative complications. Clinicians have a pivotal role in supporting smoking cessation by patients with lung cancer and coronary artery disease throughout the perioperative period of cardiothoracic surgery.” 

“Clinicians believed that: electronic cigarettes, though unlikely to be safe, were safer than tobacco cigarettes; electronic cigarettes may have a harm reduction role in public health; and electronic cigarettes were a potential smoking cessation tool for the extraordinary circumstances of surgery. The professional role of a clinician and their views about electronic cigarettes as a perioperative smoking cessation aid had an influence on future clinician-patient interactions. Electronic cigarette use is increasing in Australia and clinicians are likely to receive more frequent questions about electronic cigarettes as a cessation aid. Stronger guidance for clinicians is needed on the topic of electronic cigarettes and cardiothoracic surgery.”.

English, Please?

if the complex language and the overall slant of the quotes make you shake your head and doesn’t really make sense, let’s see if we can translate it for you. 

Basically, it is the belief of many clinicians that during periods where surgery of a cardiothoracic nature is required, electronic cigarettes can provide a useful support. Obviously, they get people access to tobacco free methods of smoking.

There is an agreement that even though knowledge of electronic cigarettes is more limited than these individuals would like, there is growing evidence to suggest that particularly in  Australia, electronic cigarettes are picking up popularity, and they may be used as a tool to help people stop smoking in the run-up to and immediately after cardiothoracic surgery. 

Basically, to summarise all that, there is growing evidence that electronic cigarettes and vaping can be a very useful resource. They have the potential to offer a large selection of benefits, they do everything that people need them to do, and they can even be used to help prepare people for surgery. Obviously, cardiothoracic surgery is never a good thing, but if it’s a condition which has been exacerbated by large quantities of regular cigarettes, then the electric variant can be exactly the resource people need. There is a general consensus that while they don’t know exactly how electronic cigarettes will have long-term effects, they’re definitely a good thing.