Introduction: Tobacco products can make thoracic diseases more complicated by affecting their respiratory functions in a short or long time and can increase mortality and morbidity related to these diseases. While smoking causes many diseases that require surgical treatment, especially thoracic surgery, on the other hand, it affects surgical results. This study aims to determine the relationship between tobacco use and postoperative complications in thoracic surgery patients and contribute to public health by supporting tobacco cessation programs.

Method: Patient characteristics and tobacco use habits of the patients, and the types of tobacco they used were determined. Postoperative complications, admission to the intensive therapy unit, reintubation, death, and length of stay in hospital were defined as surgical outcomes. These results were compared and analyzed with tobacco use.

Results: Retrospectively, 754 patients consisting of 536 (71.1%) males and 218 (28.9%) females were evaluated.  Tobacco use was more common in men (X2=223.216, p<0.001) and younger ages (X2=45.342, p<0.001). Complications occurred in 96 patients, 76 (79.2%) of whom used tobacco. Tobacco use (p<0.001, OR=3.547), ASA score (p=0.029, OR=2.004), major surgeries (p<0.001, OR=4.458), and minimally invasive surgeries (p=0.027, OR=2.323) are associated with complications. Length of hospital stay is related to the amount of tobacco (p <0.001, OR = 3.706), size of surgery (p <0.001, OR = 14.797), over 65 years (p <0.001, OR = 2.635), and infectious diseases (p = 0.039, OR: 1.939)

Conclusion: Tobacco use is related to poor outcomes in thoracic surgery patients, and it is a severe health problem, especially at young ages. Tobacco control programs should be supported to prevent the effects of tobacco use on thoracic diseases and postoperative complications.

Keywords: tobacco use, postoperative complications, thoracic surgery, tobacco products, pulmonary diseases, smoking.