Perception of knowledge toward surgery-Related adverse effects of cigarette smoking among Al-Ahsa population, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Introduction: Tobacco smoking has been proven to be a major risk factor for morbidity and mortality. The connections between smoking and postoperative adverse effects are very much recorded across surgical specialties. It has been established that smoking cessation has a major impact in optimizing the surgical outcomes of smokers. This study aims to obtain the perception of knowledge regarding surgery-related adverse effects of cigarette smoking among adult population of Al-Ahsa in Saudi Arabia. Methodology: To assess the knowledge of surgery-related adverse effects of cigarette smoking, an online survey was distributed randomly to all Al-Ahsa population in Saudi Arabia. The participants asked about their biographical data and questions regarding surgery-related adverse effects of cigarette smoking. Responses were analyzed as means and standard deviations for the quantitative variables, and percentages for qualitative categorical variables. The results shows that most of participants have agreed that smoking can increase the risk of future heart and lung problems (79%) and think it is necessary to stop smoking after surgery (69%), while more than a half of all participants did not know that smoking can increase pain (60.8%), infection after surgery (56.2), surgical complications with anaesthesia (51.3%). In this study, only 16.5% agreed that the ideal smoking cessation period before surgery is 4 to 6 weeks. Results: The results suggest that the awareness of smoking related postoperative adverse effects is poor. That is why we recommend starting and implanting a strong pre-operative smoking cessation program to provide the needed information and educational materials, advising smoker to quit and offering referral for behavioral change. Conclusion: The awareness of smoking-related postoperative adverse effects is poor. It is important for health-care providers to raise their patient's awareness and knowledge before the surgery.