smoking even one cigarette alone during the last week prior to surgery causes severe disturbances of the mechanism of expectoration or sputum elimination from the airways / bronchi, due to "ciliary paralysis."

Such disturbances are expected to cause severe "Sputum Retention" complications as well as "Atelectasis," too (collapsed lung). The latter can result in severe Respiratory Failure or Sepsis and may finally lead even to postoperative Death.