OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of pre- and postoperative inspiratory muscle training on length of postoperative hospital stay and pulmonary function in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. DESIGN AND METHODS: We conducted a systematic search using databases (Medline, CINAHL, Embase, PEDro and the Cochrane) to find controlled trials evaluating the effects of pre- and postoperative inspiratory muscle training. RESULTS: Eight studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Four were about preoperative inspiratory muscle training (416 patients), three about postoperative inspiratory muscle training (115 patients) and one study about pre- and postoperative inspiratory muscle training (43 patients). Preoperative inspiratory muscle training resulted in improvement in: Reduction in length of postoperative hospital stay of -2 days (95% CI -3.4 to -0.7, n = 302), inspiratory pressure of 16.7 cmH2O (95% CI 13.8 to 19.5, n = 386), forced expiratory volume in one second of 3% predicted (95% CI 0.1 to 6, n = 140), forced vital capacity of 4.6% predicted (95% CI 1.9 to 7.4, n = 140). Patients that received preoperative training had an inspiratory muscle training reduced risk of postoperative pulmonary complications (RR 0.6; 95% CI 0.5 to 0.8; p = 0.0004, n = 386). Postoperative inspiratory muscle training resulted in improvement in inspiratory pressure of 16.5 cmH2O (95% CI 4.9 to 27.8, n = 115), and tidal volume of 185 ml (95% CI 19.7 to 349.8, n = 85). CONCLUSION: Pre- and postoperative inspiratory muscle training showed to be a beneficial intervention in the treatment of patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

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