Smoking Cessation in the Surgical Pathway Before Major Lung Surgery

A Trial to Study the Effectiveness of Smoking Cessation in the Surgical Pathway Before Major Lung Surgery: Project MURRAY Feasibility Study

This is a feasibility study of a personalised, integrated smoking cessation in the surgical pathway in patients undergoing major elective thoracic surgery when compared to usual care of standard community/hospital based NHS smoking cessation. Half the patients will receive the intervention and half the patients will receive usual care.

Smoking prior to major thoracic surgery is a major risk factor for development of postoperative complications which effect both short and long-term outcome. Despite this 1 in 5 patients continue to smoke before their operation.

Project MURRAY is a trial comparing the effectiveness of personalised integrated smoking cessation delivered by trained health-care practitioners in the thoracic surgical pathway, and is a three part package of behaviour interventions and pharmacotherapy as per National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE)/ National Centre for Smoking Cessation Training (NCSCT) guidance which is supported by an adjunct web-based application. This is a pilot study to evaluate feasibility of a substantive trial and study processes in 5 adult thoracic centres including the trial coordinating site at the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust. This is a multicentre feasibility study, with aim for equal weighting between the two arms of the integrated smoking cessation and an observation only group of usual care.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Current tobacco smoker (smoked within the last 28 days)
• Major Thoracic Surgery (including both open and minimally invasive approach)
• Able to provide written informed consent
• At least 1 weeks' time to surgery
• Age over 18 years

Exclusion Criteria:

• Emergency thoracic surgery
• Inability to perform exhaled carbon monoxide (CO) measurements