Pre-surgical Pulmonary Rehabilitation in Asthma Patients Undergoing Bariatric Surgery.

This pilot study was performed to investigate the feasibility of pre-surgical pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) in morbidly obese patients with uncontrolled asthma, undergoing bariatric surgery. Four morbidly obese female patients with asthma participated in a 12-week PR program (exercise, diet, and psychological intervention) before undergoing bariatric surgery, and the outcomes were compared to a matched group of seven female controls (bariatric surgery only). In patients who participated in PR, asthma control and asthma quality of life improved dramatically after 3 months of PR. Besides, asthma control was better at the moment of surgery. The results of this pilot study show that PR is feasible in morbidly obese asthmatics and should be considered for a selected group of patients with uncontrolled asthma before undergoing bariatric surgery.