TY - JOUR T1 - Preoperative pulmonary rehabilitation in female patients undergoing a thoracotomy for lung cancer JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J VL - 44 IS - Suppl 58 SP - P3265 AU - Natasa Mujovic AU - Nebojsa Mujovic AU - Dragan Subotic AU - Maja Ercegovac AU - Ljubica Nikcevic Y1 - 2014/09/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/44/Suppl_58/P3265.abstract N2 - Objectives: during the last decade, a significant increase in lung cancer among females has been registered. The aim of the study was to assess the impact of respiratory rehabilitation to the lung function and effort tolerance preoperatively and one month after the operation. Methods: the study included 68 female COPD patients, candidates for surgery for primary lung cancer, who underwent a program of preoperative pulmonary rehabilitation (PPR) of average duration of two weeks, consisting of aerosol-bronchodilator therapy, kinesitherapy for upper and lower limbs. The six-minutes walking test (6MWT), with a measurement of the walking distance, oxygen saturation (pO2) and lung function, served as a criterion for the treatment success. All these parameters were measured on admission, before and one month after thoracotomy. Results: a significant improvement of vital capacity and forced expiratory volume in the 1st second after the PPR was registered (p<0.001). The gain in 6-min. walking distance and pO2 was also significant. There was no significant difference in 100FEV1/VC and in the small airays function. Postoperatively, a loss in values of all ventilatory parameters occurred. The absence of the shortening of the 6-min. distance mirrored the net –effect of PPR. Besides, PPR contributed to preservation of the postoperative patients'symptomatic status and to abolishment of the expected dyspnea at rest and of the effort-provoked symptoms. Conclusion: by performing PPR, an evident improvement of the lung function and effort tolerance is achieved, thus having a favorable impact to the postoperative course. ER -