Preoperative physiotherapy to prevent postoperative pulmonary complications after major abdominal surgery

Abstract

Abdominal surgery is the most common major surgical procedure performed in developed countries. After surgery, postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) occur frequently and are a primary cause of morbidity, mortality, and prolonged hospital stay. To minimise PPCs, physiotherapy is ubiquitously provided in the postoperative phase in hospitals throughout developed countries. Physiotherapy clinical trials reporting the largest reductions in PPCs have predominately tested preoperative education and training of patients to perform their own breathing exercises after surgery. These trials were generally of low quality and therefore the results lack certainty. Currently, preoperative physiother..