BACKGROUND: A preoperative respiratory therapy treatment was performed to analyze the effectiveness, with respect to postoperative air leak and pain, in patients undergoing surgery for lung cancer. OBJECTIVES: To analyze air leakage and postoperative pain. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Seventy one patients were studied, with a mean age of 62.58 years. Descriptive variables of gender, carcinogenic pathology, type of surgical incision and lung resection, use of glue and endostapler, and presence of adhesions were analyzed. Likewise, analysis of the quantitative variables of age, body mass index and forced expiratory volume in 1 s. Two homogeneous groups resulted. Differentiated, experimental group (EG) that performed preoperative respiratory therapy and control group (CG). RESULTS: There were statistically significant differences in favor of the EG with respect to postoperative air leak on days 1 to 2 during the performance of physiotherapy techniques, the food and during the performance of the exercises autonomously. Furthermore, differences in air leakage were observed on days 2 to 4 during gait. The number of patients decreased to a greater extent in the EG. Regarding pain, there were statistically significant differences in the sample on days 1 to 4, with greater intensity of pain in the CG and after doing physiotherapy every day except the second. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative respiratory therapy in patients undergoing surgery for lung cancer was effective in reducing the number of patients who presented postoperative air leak and reducing pain in the EG.

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