Question:
Anyone know of effective breathing exercise to prepare for surgery?

Hello everyone. I have heard several post-op people mention difficulty breathing after surgery. Is there anything I can do to prepare myself for this? Anyone do breathing exercises prior to surgery and felt it helped? I am really worried about the recovery phase. I finally have a surgery date and am more nervous by the day! Thank you all!    — lovebug2 (posted on June 23, 2001)

June 23, 2001
Hey! Your surgeon should be able to provide you with an incentive spirometer (lung exerciser) & it is supposed to aid in breathing after surgery & preventing pnumonia.
   — sgeisendorff

June 24, 2001
I spoke with several people, one is a Respiratory Therapist and one an Anesthesiologist. They both suggested getting an IS, incentive spirometer and practicing breathing with that. It has a gauge that indicates how well your lungs work, basically, ask your doc.
   — dj C.

June 24, 2001
My wife got one of these when she had pneamonia. I have tried it, it goes to 700 and I max it out without even trying. Jen says I am full of hot air. any ideas for me?
   — bob-haller

June 24, 2001
I think I read on this site to blow up water balloons as they are thicker and harder to stretch out. I can attest to this as my son asked me to blow one up the other day and it was difinitely harder to blow up than a regular baloon.
   — [Anonymous]

July 12, 2001
I have been out of the hospital just over a week now. I remember the breathing exercises. I personally don't think that any breathe exercises done pre op will help you post op. For me it was the pain in the diaphram area that made ot harder to do my breathing exercises. I did find it easier to do my breathing exercises about half an hour after my pain medicine, and after walks for example down the hall or to the restroom. After surgery each time I did my breathing exercises the first 2 breaths were very hard, but the more I did the fuller they got. I really did feel good too, except for the physical inside pain.
   — Carla C.