The effect of Acapella trainer on respiratory function of patients after thoracoscopic lung cancer surgery

Abstract

Abstract Objective To investigate the effect of Acapella training on respiratory function in patients undergoing video‐assisted thoracic surgery (VATS). Methods A total of 60 patients undergoing VATS surgery for lung cancer in the department of thoracic Surgery of our hospital from August 2018 to February 2019 were selected as study subjects, and were divided into observation group (n = 30) and control group (n = 30) according to the random number table method. The control group received routine pulmonary rehabilitation exercise after surgery, and the patients in the observation group received postoperative respiratory function exercise with Acapella therapeutic apparatus on the basis of the control group. Respiratory function, including forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory capacity in the first second (FEV1), peak expiratory flow (PEF), and length of hospital stay, were observed and compared between the two groups before and after using Acapell trainer. Results There was no significant difference in FEV1, FVC, and PEF between the two groups before treatment with Acapella (P >.05), the difference between the above indicators after treatment and before treatment was statistically significant (P <.05); After Acapella treatment, FEV1, FVC, and PEF were significantly different between the two groups (P = .04, P = .047, P = .047).The postoperative hospital stay in the experimental group was shorter than that in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P = .028). Conclusion Acapella trainer can improve patients' respiratory function and shorten postoperative hospital stay.

Keywords

• Acapella
• lung cancer
• respiratory function
• thoracoscopy