OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine whether perioperative breathing training reduces the incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications in patients undergoing laparoscopic colorectal surgery. DESIGN: A randomized controlled trial. SETTING: University hospital. SUBJECTS: A total of 240 patients undergoing laparoscopic colorectal surgery participated in this study. INTERVENTION: The enrolled patients were randomized into an intervention or control group. Patients in the intervention group received perioperative breathing training, including deep breathing and coughing exercise, balloon-blowing exercise, and pursed lip breathing exercise. The control group received standard perioperative care without any breathing training. MAIN MEASURES: The primary endpoint was the incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications. The secondary objectives were to evaluate the effect of perioperative breathing training on arterial oxygenation, incidence of other postoperative complications, patient satisfaction, length of stay, and hospital charges. RESULTS: The incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications in the breathing training group was lower than that in the control group (5/120 (4%) versus 14/120 (12%); RR 0.357, 95%CI 0.133 to 0.960; p = 0.031). In addition, PaO2 and arterial oxygenation index on the first and fourth days after surgery were significantly higher in the breathing training group than in the control group (p < 0.001). In addition, patients with breathing training had shorter length of stay (6 d (IQR 5 to 7) versus 8 d (IQR 7 to 9)), lower hospital charges (7,761 +/- 1,679 versus 8,212 +/- 1,326), and higher patient satisfaction (9.46 +/- 0.65 versus 9.21 +/- 0.47) than those without. CONCLUSION: Perioperative breathing training may reduce the incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications and preserve of arterial oxygenation after laparoscopic colorectal surgery.

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