Home > General Medicine > Smoking and Risk of Surgery Get the Flash Player to see this player. Rate: (Click the stars to rate) Published on Oct 19, 2008 by DWarner, Views: 4953 Smoking has many effects which can increase the risk of surgery. Smoking has been found to slow surgical wound healing, increase the risk of infection, and increase the risk of lung problems around the time of surgery, such as pneumonia. Dr. David Warner, an anesthesiologist at the Mayo Clinic, discusses the increased risk of surgery for smokers.