Abstract

TENORIO, Luís Henrique Sarmento; LIMA, Anna Myrna Jaguaribe de  and  BRASILEIRO-SANTOS, Maria do Socorro. The role of respiratory physiotherapy in the lung function of obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery. A review. Rev Port Pneumol [online]. 2010, vol.16, n.2, pp.307-314. ISSN 0873-2159.

Introduction: Obesity, considered a new worldwide epidemic, is characterised by excess adipose tissue and contributes to a series of chronic diseases and increased mortality. Obesity associated to surgical procedure in these patients makes respiratory physiotherapy a must to recover lung function and prevent postoperative pulmonary complications. Aims: To assess the effects of respiratory physiotherapy on the lung function of obese patients undergoing weight loss surgery. Material and methods: We conducted a literature review October 2008-June 2009 of data which had been published over the last thirty years and which was available on the Medline, Pubmed ans Scielo databases. Conclusion: Pre-and postoperative respiratory physiotherapy is vital for patients undergoing weight loss surgery irrespective of technique used, as it can prevent pulmonary complications inherent in the surgical procedure and aid lung function recovery.

Keywords : Lung function; bariatric surgery; obesity; physiotherapy.

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