Rankin, William H

Background: While tobacco use is a well-known risk factor for adverse outcomes after carpal tunnel release (CTR), the impact of non-tobacco nicotine products remains unclear. This study evaluated complications in CTR patients with non-tobacco nicotine dependence (NTND) compared with tobacco users and controls. Methods: Patients who underwent CTR with ≥2-year follow-up were identified using a large national database. After 1:1 propensity score matching, patients with NTND (n = 6319) were matched to controls, tobacco users (n = 86 430) were matched to controls, and patients with NTND (n = 6325) were matched to tobacco users. Matching was based on age, gender, Charlson comorbidity index, and comorbidities. Outcomes including 90-day medical complications, infection, emergency department (ED) visits, readmissions, and 2-year revision rates were compared using multivariable logistic regression. Results: Compared with controls, patients with NTND demonstrated higher 90-day medical complication rates (2.4% vs 1.7%; odds ratio [OR], 1.35; 95% CI, 1.04-1.77) and ED visits (10.3% vs 8.1%; OR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.02-1.32). Compared with tobacco users, patients with NTND had decreased ED visits (10.4% vs 14.2%; OR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.66-0.83) and revision surgery (1.9% vs 2.5%; OR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.62-0.99), with no significant differences in medical complications, infection, or readmissions. Conclusions: Non-tobacco nicotine dependence was associated with increased medical complications and ED visits compared with controls, but decreased ED visits and revision surgery compared with tobacco users. There were no significant differences in medical complications, infections, or readmissions between tobacco users and patients with NTND. These findings underscore the importance of screening for non-tobacco nicotine use during preoperative evaluations for CTR.

Background: Tobacco use is a known risk factor for poor healing after rotator cuff repair (RCR), but the effects of nontobacco nicotine products remain unclear. Purpose: To compare postoperative complications among nontobacco nicotine users, tobacco users, and nonusers undergoing RCR. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: Using the PearlDiver database, the authors identified patients who underwent arthroscopic RCR with ≥2 years of follow-up. Three 1:1 propensity-matched comparisons were conducted: nontobacco nicotine users versus nonusers (n = 4844), tobacco users versus nonusers (n = 19,182), and nontobacco nicotine users vs tobacco users (n = 4882). Outcomes included 90-day complications and 2-year revision surgeries. Results: Nontobacco nicotine users had mildly higher rates of lysis of adhesions than controls (0.7% vs 0.4%; OR, 1.95; P = .033) but no other significant differences. Tobacco users showed increased rates of acute kidney injury (AKI), pneumonia, infections, emergency department (ED) visits, readmissions, and revision surgery compared to controls. Compared to tobacco users, nontobacco nicotine users had moderately strong lower risks of pneumonia (0.6% vs 1.2%; OR, 0.46), ED visits (8.8% vs 13.6%; OR, 0.62), and readmissions (0.8% vs 1.5%; OR, 0.54) (all P < .01). Conclusion: While nontobacco nicotine use was associated with a modestly increased risk of lysis of adhesions after RCR, it did not significantly elevate the risk of major medical complications, infections, or revision surgery when compared to nonnicotine users. In contrast, tobacco users demonstrated consistently worse postoperative outcomes across multiple domains, including higher rates of AKI, pneumonia, surgical site infection, ED visits, readmissions, and revision procedures. Notably, when compared directly to tobacco users, nontobacco nicotine users had significantly lower rates of pneumonia, ED utilization, and readmissions. These findings suggest that although nontobacco nicotine products may not be entirely benign, their perioperative risk profile appears to be less severe than that of traditional tobacco use.