ISSN : 1301-5680
e-ISSN : 2149-8156
Turkish Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery     
Effects of preoperative physiotherapy education on hospital stay and postoperative pulmonary complications in patients undergoing thoracic surgery
İlknur Naz1, Onur Akçay2, Şeyda Örs Kaya3, Onur Süneçli4
1Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Katip Çelebi University, Faculty of Health Sciences, İzmir, Turkey
2Department of Thoracic Surgery, Karşıyaka State Hospital, İzmir, Turkey
3Departments of Thoracic Surgery, Dr. Suat Seren Chest Diseases and Surgery Training and Research Hospital, İzmir, Turkey
4Departments of Pulmonary Rehabilitation Unit, Dr. Suat Seren Chest Diseases and Surgery Training and Research Hospital, İzmir, Turkey
DOI : 10.5606/tgkdc.dergisi.2017.13391
Background: This study aims to investigate the effects of preoperative physiotherapy education on hospital stay and postoperative complications in patients undergoing thoracic surgery.

Methods: This retrospective study included a total of 96 patients who underwent lobectomy or pneumonectomy for a bronchial carcinoma or metastatic lung disease (84 males, 12 females; median age 60 years; interquartile range 55-67 years) between September 2012 and September 2013. A novel preoperative physiotherapy education protocol was developed by the pulmonary rehabilitation unit and thoracic surgery department of our hospital for patients undergoing thoracic surgery. Of the patients, 49 were applied preoperative physiotherapy education and 47 were not applied. Outcomes of patients who were applied or not preoperative physiotherapy education protocol during a six-month period were compared.

Results: The length of hospital stay and postoperative complication rates were similar between the groups (p>0.05). In preoperative physiotherapy education group, the number of days between the date of education and operation was found to be negatively correlated with the length of hospital stay and the postoperative complication rates (p<0.05).

Conclusion: Our study results suggest that physiotherapy education should start as early as possible before lung surgery and this protocol is associated with shorter hospital stay and lower postoperative complication rate.

Keywords : Postoperative pulmonary complications; preoperative physiotherapy education; thoracic surgery
Viewed : 6310
Downloaded : 1533