People who are about to undergo surgery in Edmonton are getting help from health-care workers to quit smoking.

Under a pilot project at the University of Alberta Hospital and Royal Alexandra Hospital, nurses advise patients before surgery and offer nicotine patches to those who want to quit.

Cecil Hoffman said undergoing back surgery offered him a good time to quit smoking after 30 years.
(Courtesy University of Alberta)

Being admitted to hospital is a window of opportunity for smokers, since patients are leaving their normal routines and have time to reflect, said Dr. Barry Finegan, one of the doctors in charge of the program.

"You can't escape for the first few days," agreed Cecil Hoffman, who smoked for 30 years. Hoffman credits the program with keeping him smoke-free for 18 months after his back surgery.

"I think it also helps to be able to point out that they often heal better, that the wounds heal quicker, the bones knit faster," said Pat Fedor, a nurse at the university hospital. "When patients come in, they're stressed anyway, so I would not be one to say, 'You've got to quit smoking.' You give them the information, you give them the option."

Patients also get a follow-up visit after surgery and a phone call from the provincial smokers' help line. About 700 people have taken advantage of the program.

Last year, 13 per cent of smokers who signed up for the pilot program quit smoking — more than double the number who would quit on their own.

Half of those who didn't quit said they were smoking less.

If the program continues to be a success, it could be expanded to other areas of the hospital, Finegan said.