Smoking Cessation for Patients having Surgery: UHN Webpage Launch
Although the long-term health consequences of smoking are well known, surgical patients who smoke may not realize they put themselves at increased risk for serious surgical complications ranging from wound infections to respiratory problems and even death.
A team led by Dr. Jean Wong, Associate Professor, University of Toronto, and anesthesiologist at Toronto Western Hospital (TWH), University Health Network (UHN) and Elke Ruthig, Manager, TGH Patient and Caregiver Education, UHN, has developed a Smoking Cessation webpage for smokers undergoing surgery at UHN. The webpage features a patient eLearning education program tailored specifically for surgical patients aimed at educating and assisting them to quit smoking. An Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care Alternate Funding Plan Innovation Fund award Dr. Wong received from University Health Network/Mount Sinai Hospital supported the development of the patient eLearning program. “Our studies have shown the perioperative time is a ‘teachable moment’ for anesthesiologists and other health care professionals to help patients quit smoking”, says Dr. Wong. The eLearning program and webpage will be used as part of a perioperative smoking cessation program at the preadmission clinic at TWH.
