Question:
Could someone please tell me why it's necessary to exercise your lungs prior to surg?

I've read the comments about exercising your lungs, blowing up balloons, and those breathing machines. Why is it needed to get "the lungs into shape" before surgery? Thanks.    — Mary Ann B. (posted on October 30, 2002)

October 30, 2002
To help prevent pneumonia and other respiratory problems. If you can imagine, your lungs have smaller sacs inside that hold air, and in each one of them much smaller sacs, and then in them more smaller sacs. When you are doing your coughing and deep breathing you are (hopefully) doing it effectively and filling ALL the sacs and getting what they call good perfusion, so your lungs are working to their best capacity. After surgery you won't breathe as well until you get woke up (which is why the nurses in recovery will be constantly jostling you awake and telling you to cough and deep breathe!). When you aren't breathing as deep, the smallest, lowest, inner sacs are getting *perfused* and you can get pneumonia. It's a natural reflex when you have abdominal surgery to NOT want to breathe deep because it hurts, but it's very important to prevent lung problems, some of which can be very serious. During your hospital stay, you should also be getting breathing treatments, which you'll probably hate, but will help to keep those lungs healthy and working their best!
   — Lynette B.

October 30, 2002
Believe me, I wish I had done the breathing exercises pre-op like I was supposed to. I was supposed to start them 2 weeks pre-op, several times a day. I started them like 3 days pre-op and nearly failed the pulmonary test at my pre-op appointment 2 days pre-op. After surgery, my left lung partially collapsed and they put me on iv antibiotics and had a technician coming into my room a few times a day making me breath through this mask. If only I had done my exercises like my surgeon's paperwork said. :o)
   — Jennifer A.

October 30, 2002
hi there :) you want to help prevent blood clots and labored beathing as best you can. i blew up balloons and feel it really helped. i never had any problems at all. best of luck to you :)
   — carrie M.

October 30, 2002
Besides all the good answers below, my doctor said that when I arrived at the hospital before the surgery, the staff would check my lung capacity and then they would not release me to go home until I could do the same capacity after surgery. So - practice, practice and more practice.
   — Ken H.

October 31, 2002
In addition to below answers, You must have good oxygenation for the pain medication to work properly!! It is like a circle. You need to have good pain management to cough and deep breathe which helps prevent pneumonia, but, if you don't have good oxygenation, the pain medication will not work effectively, or will build up in your system causing you to not breathe well. If you do your exercises before surgery and frequently in the hospital, you'll do great!! The benefits will make the effort worth it!
   — Jayne B.