Postoperative exercise training may improve quality of life after lung surgery
Postoperative exercise training may significantly improve the quality of life in patients undergoing lung surgery, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis published in Respiratory Medicine.
“In the past, it was not realistic for patients undergoing pulmonary resection to start exercise rehabilitation early after surgery because of a number of retarding factors such as the severe pain, indwelling catheter and impaired pulmonary function caused by thoracotomy,” Jiao Wang, MD, from the department of rehabilitation at West China Hospital of Sichuan University in Chengdu, China, and colleagues wrote. “Nevertheless, with the great progress of minimally invasive lung surgery and enhanced recovery after surgery ... early postoperative exercise rehabilitation becomes possible and also necessary.”
Researchers assessed PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and PEDro through April 2021 and identified eight randomized controlled trials that included 691 participants. All studies evaluated the effects of postoperative exercise rehabilitation on clinical outcomes in adults who underwent pulmonary resection. Interventions included aerobic resistance, endurance training, strength training, breathing exercises and other exercise trainings.
The primary outcome was postoperative quality of life. Secondary outcomes included exercise capacity and respiratory function.
Pooled results showed that postoperative exercise training may significantly improve quality of life, as measured by the SF-36, for both physical domain score (weighted mean difference, 5.87; 95% CI, 3.96-7.78; P < .001) and mental domain score (weighted mean difference, 8.15; 95% CI, 0.13-16.16; P = .05).
In addition, researchers reported no significant effects of postoperative exercise training on exercise capacity or respiratory function.
“[M]ore randomized controlled trials with large samples are still needed to verify the effects of postoperative exercise rehabilitation on clinical outcomes of patients who receive pulmonary resection,” the researchers wrote.