3 : It is suggested that deep breathing exercises provide the same benefit as incentive spirometry in the preoperative and postoperative setting to prevent postoperative pulmonary complications .
Short-Term Respiratory Physical Therapy Treatment in the PACU and Influence on Postoperative Lung Function in Obese Adults
Background Even several days after surgery , obese patients exhibit a measureable amount of atelectasis and thus are predisposed to postoperative pulmonary complications . Particularly in ambulatory surgery , rapid recovery of pulmonary function is desired to ensure early discharge of the obese patient . In this study , we wanted to evaluate intensive short-term respiratory physical therapy treatment ( incentive spirometry ) in the postanesthesia care unit ( PACU ) and its impact on pulmonary function in the obese . Methods After ethics committee approval and informed consent , we prospect ively studied 60 obese patients ( BMI 30–40 ) undergoing minor peripheral surgery  , half of which were r and omly assigned to receive  respiratory physiotherapy  during their PACU stay , while the others received routine treatment . Premedication , general anesthesia , and respiratory setting s were st and ardized . We measured arterial oxygen saturation by pulse oximetry on air breathing . Inspiratory and expiratory lung functions were measured preoperatively ( baseline ) and at 10 min , 1 , 2 , 6 , and 24 h after extubation , with the patient supine , in a 30 ° head-up position . The two groups were compared using repeated-measure analysis of variance and t test analysis . Statistical significance was considered to be P < 0.05 . Results There were no differences at the first assessment , but , during the PACU stay , pulmonary function in the physiotherapy group was significantly better than the controls ’ ( p < 0.0001 ) , an effect which persisted for at least 24 h after surgery ( p < 0.009 ) . ConclusionS hort-term respiratory physiotherapy during the PACU stay promotes more rapid recovery of postoperative lung function in the obese during the first 24
3 : It is suggested that deep breathing exercises provide the same benefit as incentive spirometry in the preoperative and postoperative setting to prevent postoperative pulmonary complications .