One moderate quality study (6) compared the effectiveness of a smoking cessation intervention with varenicline medication to placebo for both short-term (immediately before surgery, 3- and 6-months after surgery) and long-term (12-months after surgery) abstinence, in patients awaiting a wide range of elective surgeries.
The elective surgical patients were enrolled from surgical services including ambulatory or inpatient general surgery, ophthalmology, orthopaedic, neurosurgical, plastics, obstetrics/gynaecology and urology. In both groups the treatment (placebo or varenicline) commenced one week before surgery, and continued post-operatively.Additionally, both groups also received two sessions of standardised counselling with the first session delivered before surgery and the second delivered either 24hrs after surgery or before discharge.
Abstinence- 24hr before surgery:
Might not be effective (1 moderate quality study showing no effect for the intervention when compared to control) (6).
Abstinence- 3 months after surgery:
Might be effective (1 moderate quality study showing a significant effect for intervention when compared to control) (6).
Abstinence- 6 months after surgery:
Might be effective (1 moderate quality study a showing significant effect for intervention when compared to control) (6).
Abstinence- 12 months after surgery:
Might be effective (1 moderate quality study showing a significant effect for intervention when compared to control) (6).
Number of cigarettes/day preoperatively:
Might not be effective (1 moderate quality study showing no effect for intervention when compared to control) (6).
Number of cigarettes/day 3 months after surgery:
Might not be effective (1 moderate quality study showing no effect for intervention when compared to control) (6).
Number of cigarettes/day 6 months after surgery:
Might not be effective (1 moderate quality study showing no effect for intervention when compared to control) (6).
Number of cigarettes/day 12 months after surgery:
Might not be effective (1 moderate quality study showing no effect for intervention when compared to control) (6).
Severe adverse events including unanticipated hospital admissions:
Might not be effective (1 moderate quality study showing significantly higher reported severe adverse events including unanticipated hospital admissions compared to the control group) (6).
Surgical and postoperative complications:
Might be effective (1 moderate quality study showing no effect for intervention when compared to control) (6).