To assess the tidal volume (VT), minute volume (MV) and respiratory rate (RR) of morbidly obese women in postoperative bariatric surgery (BS), after the conventional respiratory physiotherapy (CRP) with or without preoperatively continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). Thirty-six women, aged 40.1±8.41 years, that would be submitted to BS by laparotomy were studied. All of them underwent preoperative outpatient conventional respiratory physiotherapy (CRP) (diaphragmatic breathing exercises, deep breathing, fractionated breathing and breathing associated to movements of the upper limbs, a series of 10 repetitions of each exercise) by 30 days. Once admitted, 18 were subjected to 20 minutes of CPAP, an hour before induction of anesthesia and composed group CRP+CPAP. The other 18 did not receive CPAP and composed group CRP. VT, MV, and RR were performed through the ventilometer, at admission and 24 hours after surgery. It was found that measures of TV, VM and RR were not statistically significant when comparing pre and postoperative in both groups and as well as when the two groups were compared between them in both pre and postoperative. The results suggest that both the application and the implementation of FRC and FRC+CPAP in the preoperative period contribute to the maintenance of respiratory variables in the postoperative period. The use of CPAP before induction of anesthesia, did not provide additional benefits in the post-bariatric surgery with regard to the volumes.
bariatric surgery; continuous positive airway pressure; lung volume measurements; physical therapy specialty
