Is preoperative physiotherapy/pulmonary rehabilitation beneficial in lung resection patients?

Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg 13(3):300-2 (2011) PMID 21586476

A best evidence topic in thoracic surgery was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was whether preoperative physiotherapy/pulmonary rehabilitation is beneficial for patients undergoing lung resection. Ten papers were identified using the reported search, of which five represented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. In 2007 a report showed in 13 subjects receiving a preoperative rehabilitation programme (PRP) an improvement of maximum oxygen uptake consumption (VO(2) max) of an average 2.4 ml/kg/min (95% confidence interval 1-3.8; P=0.002). A report in 2008 showed in 12 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and VO(2) max