Functional exercise capacity and lung function in patients undergoing an early rehabilitation program after the Nuss procedure: a randomized controlled trial.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the functional exercise capacity and the lung function among patients undergoing early rehabilitation with those submitted to the conventional care after pectus excavatum repair using the Nuss procedure.

Method: Patients were randomly allocated to the early rehabilitation group (ERG) who started rehabilitation after surgery and the group of the conventional care (CG) received routine care of the institution. They were evaluated before surgery (preoperative) and in hospital discharge day (postoperative).