The influence of the preoperative rehabilitation on the results of anatomical lung resections

The objective was to investigate the efficiency of the preoperative rehabilitation for patients with planned anatomical lung resections.

Methods and materials.The study included 92 patients aged 27 to 87 years (mean age (63±10.8) years), 25 women (27.2 %) and 67 men (72.8 %) who underwent anatomical lung resections (79 patients, 85.9 % for lung cancer). Group 1 (39 patients – 42 %) included patients who did not smoke or quitted smoking at least 2 months before the operation. Also, they complied with the recommendations regarding respiratory gymnastics and the use of exercise and induction spirometers in full for at least 14 days. All patients who continued smoking or abandoned it less than 2 weeks before the operation, did not use breathing exercises, were included in group 2 (53 patients – 58 %).

Results. Significant difference was found in the number of complications in the studied groups (the average number of complications in one patient in group 1 was (0.46±0.8), in group 2 – (1.47±1.5), p = 0.03). The difference was found in the duration of hospitalization (19.7 days in group 1 and 25.3 days in group 2, p <0.017), in the length of stay in the ICU ((1.6±0.9) days in group 1 versus (3.4±5.9) days in group 2, p = 0.011). The early postoperative period for patients of group 1 was more favorable regardless of the presence and severity of the course of concomitant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Conclusions. Comprehensive preoperative rehabilitation helps to reduce the number and severity of manifestations of complications after anatomical lung resections.

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