A doctor at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board (UHB) has created an animated film to help patients quit smoking before surgery.
Dr Tony Funnell, an anaesthetist at University Hospital of Wales, created ‘Stop Before Your Op’ to highlight the benefits of smoking cessation.
The film, in collaboration with the local Public Health team, uses hand-drawn images to explain that quitting can increase your chance of successful surgery and aid recovery.
Narrating the film, Dr Funnell says: “Not everybody is aware of the impact that smoking can have on their outcome from surgery. Quitting weeks, or days, before your operation will help. Even avoiding cigarettes on the day of surgery has benefits.
“Smokers are prone to coughing and spasms under anaesthetic, which means they require increased doses and are more likely to suffer complications.”
The four-minute clip took 17 hours to film, with 15 hours of live drawings from Brighton-based artist Victor Hagger, who studied Illustration at Cardiff School of Art and Design.
People who smoke are more at risk of complications such as wound infection, blood clots, heart attacks and pneumonia. They are also more likely to need intensive care and to stay longer in hospital following surgery.
The animation supports the UHB’s Optimising Outcomes Policy, which encourages patients to consider lifestyle changes before elective surgery. Patients are referred onto smoking cessation or weight management support services.
The number of adults smoking in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan continues to fall, with overall figures showing that just 18% still smoke (although in some areas it is as high as 36%).
Dr Funnell regularly discusses smoking with his patients. He recently spoke to a patient in his sixties who has smoked a hundred cigarettes a day since his teens.
He recalls: “When I explained how his smoking is jeopardising his chances of successful surgery, he said he would be making an appointment with his GP and promised to have quit by the time he came back.”
Dr Siân Griffiths, Consultant in Public Health Medicine, said: “It has been great working with Dr Funnell on this project. His commitment to ensuring that patients have the best possible outcome from surgery is outstanding. He has developed an engaging and innovative way to explain how significant smoking can be when having an operation. We hope this will encourage people to seek help with quitting.”
