Effect of Preoperative Breathing Exercises Combination on Postoperative Respiratory Status and Pulmonary Complications for Patients with Cardiac Surgery

Background: Cardiac surgeries have negative impact on patients’ respiratory function and contribute to develop of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs). Different breathing exercises such incentive spirometer and diaphragmatic breathing are recently used to reduce postoperative pulmonary complications. Aim: This study aims to evaluate the effect of preoperative breathing exercises combination on respiratory status and pulmonary complications postoperatively in patients with cardiac surgery. Methods and Materials: Quasi-experimental design study conducted in 75 patients planned to undergo cardiac surgery divided into two groups; interventional with 38 participants and control with 37 participants. The interventional group received preoperative breathing exercises combination and control group received postoperative routine exercises only. All patients with on pump (CABG, valve, and CABG and valve) surgeries. Results: The study results indicated that patients in the interventional group who practiced preoperative breathing exercises had a lower postoperative pulmonary complication rate especially atelectasis with a statistically high significance difference (p-value ≤ 0.005). Conclusion: This study concluded that added preoperative breathing exercises with conventional postoperative therapy is an effective method for reduce occurrence of postoperative pulmonary complications especially atelectasis in interventional group compared with control group. Recommendations: Further studies with a larger sample size, multicentric approach, and with same or different breathing strategy should be conducted to allow the generalization of findings and determine the effectiveness of non-therapeutic intervention on PPCs especially atelectasis for patients with cardiac surgery.