A pilot study of the incidence of post-thoracotomy pulmonary complications and the effectiveness of pre-thoracotomy physiotherapy patient education.

Purpose: To estimate the incidence and examine the pattern of post-thoracotomy pulmonary complications (PPC) that are amenable to physiotherapy treatment and to estimate the effect size of a pre-thoracotomy physiotherapy education session compared to no preoperative physiotherapy for reducing PPC.

Methods: Forty-two patients undergoing thoracotomy participated in this two-group retrospective-prospective cohort study. The preop group (n=22) received physiotherapy education prior to surgery and the no preop group (n=20) did not receive preoperative physiotherapy education. Chest radiographs were examined for PPC for 5 days postoperatively. Incidences of PPC were determined. The effect size was based on a grand count of PPC.

Results: The 5-day incidence of atelectasis, collapse, consolidation, and other complications was 85.0%, 39.0%, 31.7%, and 38.1%, respectively. Patterns of PPC showed large increases at days 2 and 3. The effect size for pre-thoracotomy physiotherapy education was zero.

Conclusions: In our sample, incidence of PPC was high and did not substantially differ based on whether or not preoperative education was provided.