A six-week inspiratory muscle training and aerobic exercise improves respiratory muscle strength and exercise capacity in lung cancer patients after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery: A randomized controlled trial

• Published in: Clinical rehabilitation Vol. 35; no. 6; p. 840
• Main Authors: Liu, Jui-Fang, Kuo, Nai-Ying, Fang, Teng-Pei, Chen, Jui-O, Lu, Hung-I, Lin, Hui-Ling
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01.06.2021
• Subjects: Aged; Breathing Exercises - methods; Exercise - physiology; Female; Humans; Lung Neoplasms - surgery; Male; Middle Aged; Muscle Strength - physiology; Postoperative Period; Resistance Training - methods; Respiratory Muscles - physiology; Single-Blind Method; Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted - rehabilitation; aerobic exercise; lung cancer; inspiratory muscle training; pulmonary rehabilitation; video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery
• ISSN: 1477-0873
• DOI: 10.1177/0269215520980138

To compare the postoperative outcomes of inspiratory muscle training and aerobic exercise, along with standard care, on lung cancer patients undergoing video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). A parallel-group, single-blind randomized clinical trial. Thoracic surgery ward and outpatient clinic in a teaching hospital. Overall 63 patients underwent VATS were randomly assigned to a triaging (TG,  32) or control group (CG,  31). A total of 54 patients (TG,  26; CG,  28) completed the study. TG: six-week threshold inspiratory muscle training and aerobic exercise. CG: standard care. Maximum inspiratory pressure (PImax), maximum expiratory pressure (PEmax) lung expansion volume, and 6-min walking test (6MWT) were performed on the day of chest tube removal (baseline), and 2, 6, and 12 weeks postoperatively. The TG showed significant improvement in PImax at week 6 (71.6 ± 34.9 vs. 94.3 ± 32.8 cmH O,  = 0.018), PEmax at week 2 (70.9 ± 24.3 vs. 90.9 ± 28.2 cmH O,  = 0.015) and week 12 (76.1 ± 20.2 vs. 98.6 ± 35.3 cmH O,  = 0.012), the lung expansion volume at week 2 (1080 ± 433 vs 1457 ± 624 mL,  = 0.02) and week 12 (1200 ± 387 vs 1885 ± 678 mL,  < 0.001), in addition to the 6MWT at week 2 (332 ± 78 vs 412 ± 74 m,  = 0.002), week 6 (360 ± 70 vs 419 ± 60 m,  = 0.007) and week 12 (360 ± 58 vs 402 ± 65 m,  = 0.036). A six weeks of inspiratory muscle training and aerobic exercise had improved respiratory muscle strength and aerobic exercise postoperatively in lung cancer patients after VATS as early as 2 weeks.