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Smoking cessation and elective surgery: the cleanest cut

Matthew J Peters, Lucy C Morgan and Laurence Gluch
Med J Aust 2004; 180 (7) || doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2004.tb05963.x
Published online: 5 April 2004

Smokers who undergo surgery have higher risks and are a greater burden on healthcare resources. Is it acceptable to give them lower priority on surgical waiting lists?

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  • Concord Repatriation General Hospital, Concord, NSW.


Correspondence: 

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  • 8. Abudu A, Sivardeen KA, Grimer RJ, et al. The outcome of perioperative wound infection after total hip and knee arthroplasty. Int Orthop 2002; 26: 40-43.
  • 9. Bannister G. Prevention of infection in joint replacement. Curr Orthopaedics 2002; 16: 426-433.
  • 10. Myles PS, Iacono GA, Hunt JO, et al. Risk of respiratory complications and wound infection in patients undergoing ambulatory surgery. Smokers versus nonsmokers. Anesthesiology 2002; 97: 812-817.

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