Effects of breathing exercises in the postoperative period of bariatric surgery.

Introduction: Respiratory physiotherapy may minimize changes in lung and respiratory muscle function resulting from abdominal surgeries. Aim: To evaluate the effects of breathing exercises with inspiratory load flow dependent (ILFD) and inspiratory pressure threshold loading (IPTL) on respiratory muscle strength and endurance in women undergoing bariatric surgery. Methods: A total of 31 morbid obese women aged 25-55 years and BMI ≥ 40 kg / m² were evaluated in the preoperative period and randomized into two groups: One group, with 15 participants, performed exercises with ILFD device and another, with 16 participants, with IPTL device. In both groups, 6 sets of 15 repetitions were performed in addition to conventional respiratory physiotherapy (CRP). One session on the immediate postoperative and two sessions on the first postoperative day, totaling three sessions of treatment were performed. Before surgery and on hospital discharge, respiratory muscle strength was assessed by Maximum Inspiratory Pressure (MIP) and respiratory muscle endurance was assessed by Maximum Sustained Inspiratory Pressure (MSIP). Results: In relation to the intragroup comparison, a significant reduction in MIP was observed [p = 0.01]), as well as the MSIP [p=0.004] in the ILFD, and there was no significant difference for the MIP [p = 0.59] and for MSIP [p = 0.24] in IPTL. When comparing the two groups, there was a significant difference (p = 0.0034) evidencing an increase in MSIP in IPTL. Conclusion: The CRP associated with the use of exercises with IPTL evidenced the maintenance of strength and improvement of the endurance of the respiratory muscles in patients in the postoperative period of bariatric surgery.