It is well-known that smokers suffer more complications and higher risk of mortality after surgery than non-smokers. Despite this knowledge, it is unclear what clinicians can do to minimize this risk. Surgery represents a 'teachable moment' that might encourage smokers to engage in permanent cessation. Several small trials have shown that smoking cessation interventions can increase smoking cessation and reduce postoperative complications, particularly wound-healing complications, which can have an absolute risk reduction of up to 25%. Smoking cessation initiated in the perioperative period can also promote long-term smoking cessation. Despite the benefits of comprehensive smoking cessation interventions including nicotine replacement therapy, current standard of care at the SFVAMC does not routinely include specific preoperative smoking cessation pharmacotherapy or counselling. Although there is an urgent need for more data, e-cigarettes have been proposed as an alternative to nicotine replacement therapy that are at least as effective for smoking cessation, and may be more acceptable to some patients.
The main hypothesis of this pilot study is that the use of e-cigarettes and telephone counselling, compared to telephone counselling and transdermal nicotine replacement, in the perioperative period results in increased smoking cessation on the day of surgery and at 8-weeks after randomization in smokers presenting for elective surgery. As secondary hypotheses, the study will also assess the acceptability of e-cigarettes versus nicotine patches, postoperative complications within the first 30-days, length-of-stay in the PACU and hospital length-of-stay. The investigators will examine the above hypotheses through the following aims:
" Aim 1) To determine how e-cigarettes plus counselling compare to transdermal nicotine replacement plus counselling for the achievement of smoking cessation, when introduced prior to elective surgery in veterans.
The investigators plan to carry-out a pilot randomized controlled trial with parallel design comparing e-cigarettes and telephone counselling with transdermal nicotine replacement and telephone counselling. Our primary outcome is smoking cessation on the day of surgery, as confirmed biochemically by exhaled carbon monoxide. Smoking reduction (self-reported cigarettes per day) of 50% or more and bedside spirometry readings will be assessed as secondary outcomes.
" Aim 2) To determine the acceptability of e-cigarettes amongst veterans as an aid for smoking cessation and to determine the feasibility of recruitment, randomization, and follow-up procedures in preparation for large-scale trial.
Through implementation of this pilot trial, the investigators will determine the feasibility and acceptability of e-cigarettes for smoking cessation perioperatively in the veteran population and obtain the preliminary data necessary to run a larger trial on the effectiveness of e-cigarettes as a perioperative smoking cessation aid.
" Aim 3) To determine the safety of e-cigarettes as a harm reduction strategy to achieve short-term perioperative smoking cessation.
The investigators plan to improve the overall knowledge of the safety of short-term e-cigarettes use through careful surveillance for adverse events and side effects.
" Aim 4) To determine if e-cigarette use preoperatively is associated with a lower risk of complications postoperatively.
The investigators plan to measure the following secondary outcomes: postoperative complications and mortality within the first 30 days, post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) length-of-stay, and hospital length-of-stay. This will help us understand if e-cigarettes have the potential to be used for harm-reduction perioperatively.
