title: Do you mind if I vape? Immediate effects of electronic cigarettes on perfusion in buccal mucosal tissue--a pilot study.
abstract: The association between smoking and postoperative complications is compounded in patients who have oral and maxillofacial operations by an additional local effect, and patients often continue to smoke after operation despite advice to stop. Recent studies have suggested that nicotine may reduce inflammation and improve angiogenesis, so topical application may be beneficial for smokers. The electronic cigarette is increasing in popularity and more patients ask whether they can vape after operation. We investigated the effect of electronic cigarettes (of which half contained nicotine and half did not) on blood flow in the buccal mucosa in 10 volunteers immediately after vaping. Smokers were excluded as this was considered an additional variable in a small pilot study and our Trust has a no-smoking policy. After vaping for 5 minutes, capillary blood flow was measured in the buccal mucosa at 5-minute intervals using a laser Doppler probe, and the results were expressed as arbitrary perfusion units. There was a wide variation in results and a small but significant rise (p=0.008) as a result of nicotine vaping, but these fell to the same levels as before within 30 minutes. Electronic cigarettes may have an effect on blood flow to the oral mucosa, although further studies are needed to show whether they improve healing time after operation. Additional work is also needed to compare them with cigarettes.
authors.affiliation: Maxillofacial Department, Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth PO6 3LY, UK. Electronic address: william.reuther@porthosp.nhs.uk.
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Reuther
authors.affiliation: Maxillofacial Department, Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth PO6 3LY, UK.
authors.forename: Beverley
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hale
authors.affiliation: Maxillofacial Department, Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth PO6 3LY, UK.
authors.forename: Jas
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Matharu
authors.affiliation: Maxillofacial Department, Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth PO6 3LY, UK.
authors.forename: John N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Blythe
authors.affiliation: Maxillofacial Department, Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth PO6 3LY, UK.
authors.forename: Peter A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Brennan
mesh_terms: D066300:Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D009538:Nicotine / Q000009:adverse effects; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D000072137:Vaping
chemical_list: D009538:Nicotine
keywords: Electronic cigarettes; Head and neck cancer; Nicotine; Nicotine replacements; Post-operative; Smoking