[Can lung function be improved by preoperative respiratory therapy before planned lung resection?].

The influence of an intensive preoperative physiotherapy on pulmonary function is studied in 23 patients suffering from bronchial carcinoma. Daily measurements reveal a significant improvement up to the third and fourth day after beginning of intense breathing exercises. Continued physiotherapy shows a decrease of pulmonary function in the following days. These results show that intensive breathing therapy does not produce any advantage after the third or fourth day.