Possibilities in short-term pulmonary rehabilitation in preoperative preparation of patients with lung cancer against the background of COPD

Abstract

The aim of the study is to investigate the influence exerted by short-term outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation on functional indices and the course of the perioperative period for patients with lung cancer against the background of COPD Material and methods. According to the study design, lung cancer patients with planned surgical treatment were distributed between groups according to the COPD severity (stages II-IV). At the outpatient stage, evaluation of the pulmonary function and 6-minute walk test were performed. The results of the test and the functional indices were registered with further establishment of the pulmonary rehabilitation procedure complex for the patient. The exercises were performed at home and designed for the duration of two weeks. The complex included cycles of breathing, strength and aerobic exercises with individually adjusted intensity depending on the severity of clinical COPD manifestations and the baseline physical status. Upon completion of the training course, the patients underwent repeated spirometry and the 6-minute walk test. The results obtained were registered and analysed with subsequent surgical treatment of the patients. Results. Minimal changes in functional indices upon completion of the course were registered in patients with COPD stage II, which prevented achievement of statistical significance. Therewith, patients with COPD stages III and IV who had undergone the course of exercises were noted to show statistically reliable improvement of pulmonary function (FEV1) and improvement of the overall physical status, which is testified to by enhanced tolerance to externally imposed physical loads (p<0.01). Apart from that, decreased HR values (p<0.01)) growth of SpO2 values (p<0.01) and decreased shortness of breath (p<0.01) were registered in these groups after the 6-minute walk test. No statistically significant differences in relation to the number of postoperative complications or the term of in-hospital stay were revealed between the groups in the postoperative period. Conclusion. Performance of a pulmonary rehabilitation course during the preoperative period reliably improves functional indices in patients with COPD stage III and IV, which may be of crucial significance for determination of functional operability at the outpatient stage