A Pilot Study Of Smoking Cessation Treatment Including Varenicline In Patients Scheduled For Planned Surgery

A Multicenter, Open Label Study To Investigate The Feasibility And Efficacy Of A Smoking Cessation Program With Varenicline In Patients Undergoing Elective Surgery

It is possible to offer smoking cessation treatment including varenicline to patients scheduled for elective surgery. This study will evaluate whether or not this will enable some patients to quit smoking for up to 4 weeks prior to surgery and in turn, whether this may lead to reductions in post-operative complication such as wound infections.

Recruitment to this study was terminated (on February 23, 2010) earlier than originally planned because recruitment was much slower than expected and therefore the study has already achieved its main objective of assessing the feasibility of conducting a larger study of similar design to investigate the efficacy of smoking cessation therapy in a pre-surgical setting. The decision to end recruitment to the trial was not based on any safety concerns.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Smokers motivated to stop smoking scheduled for elective surgery

Exclusion Criteria:

• Current or recent depression
• Current or recent suicidal ideation
• Uncontrolled or unstable clinically significant medical condition