Wound Healing and Infection in Surgery

Smoking is a recognized risk factor for healing complications after surgery, but the pathophysiological mechanisms remain largely unknown.

Pathophysiological studies addressing smoking and wound healing were identified through electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE) and by hand-search of articles' bibliography. Of the 1460 citations identified, 325 articles were retained following title and abstract reviews. In total, 177 articles were included and systematically reviewed.