Effects of respiratory training combined with standard rehabilitation in patients with spontaneous pneumothorax undergoing VATS: A retrospective cohort study

Spontaneous pneumothorax (SP) is commonly treated with video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS), but postoperative recovery is often challenged. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of respiratory training combined with standard rehabilitation in SP patients following VATS. This retrospective study included 60 SP patients who underwent VATS between January 2022 and May 2024. Based on postoperative care, patients were divided into 2 groups: the respiratory training-based rehabilitation (RTBR) group (n = 30), receiving targeted respiratory training plus standard care, and the control group (n = 30), receiving standard postoperative care only. Primary outcomes included hospitalization duration, forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), FEV1 % predicted, forced vital capacity (FVC), and FVC % predicted. Secondary outcomes included prolactin, growth hormone, C-reactive protein, modified Medical Research Council dyspnea scale, oxygen saturation, 6-minute walk distance (6MWD), Visual Analog Scale, quality of life (short form-36, St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire), and complication rates. The RTBR group showed greater improvements in FEV1, FEV1% predicted, FVC, FVC% predicted, oxygen saturation, modified Medical Research Council score, and 6-minute walk distance than the control group (all P < .01). Serum C-reactive protein, prolactin, and growth hormone levels decreased more significantly (all P < .001). Quality of life improved more in the RTBR group, with higher short form-36 and lower St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire scores (P < .001). Hospital stay was also shorter compared to the control group (P < .001). Combining respiratory training with standard care improves recovery in SP patients after VATS, suggesting its potential as a routine postoperative strategy.