E-cigarettes Versus Nicotine Patches for Perioperative Smoking Cessation: a Pilot Randomized Trial.

On the day of surgery, both NRT and e-cigarette groups experienced reductions in FEV1 and FEV1/FVC ratios of similar magnitude and were not statistically significantly different. However, at 8-weeks after randomization, the e-cigarette group had greater improvement in FEV1, FEV1/FVC ratio, with increases of FEV1 and FEV1/FVC ratio, compared to the NRT group, which experienced a decrease in both FEV1 and FEV1/FVC (FEV1: + 292 mL vs. -300 mL, p = 0.01; FEV1/FVC: +2% vs. -38%, p = 0.04). These differences were statistically significantly different between groups.
"There were no statistically significant differences between smoking cessation or reduction rates between NRT and ENDS groups at any time point. However, there was a trend towards improved outcomes in the ENDS group at the 8 week follow-up visit" (p. 7). No participants in the NRT group had biochemically verified smoking cessation at 8-weeks follow-up, compared to three (15%) in the e-cigarette group who reported 7-day point-prevalence abstinence. 70% of the e-cigarette group (n = 14) was able to quit or reduce cigarette consumption by at least 50%, compared to 40% of the NRT group (n = 4). Both NRT and e-cigarette groups reduced their cigarette consumption over time. Median cigarette consumption decreased from 12.5 at baseline to 3 cigarettes at 8-week follow-up in the e-cigarette group (p < 0.0001). 7-day point-prevalence abstinence at 6-months follow-up was achieved by 25% (n = 5) of the e-cigarette group and 10% (n = 1) of the NRT group.
There were no statistically significant differences between the e-cigarette and NRT groups for cotinine and exhaled CO measures on the day of surgery or at 8-weeks follow-up, although reductions were greater in the e-cigarette group at both time points.

Lee, S. M., Tenney, R., Wallace, A. W., & Arjomandi, M. (2018). E-cigarettes Versus Nicotine Patches for Perioperative Smoking Cessation: a Pilot Randomized Trial. PeerJ, 6, e5609.