Role of preoperative pulmonary rehabilitation in a patient undergoing lung cancer resection: a case report

Author: 
Ancy Vincent, Ashwini Dangi and Medha Deo

Patients with lung cancer are at increased risk of developing postoperative complications due to compromised cardiopulmonary function, making lung cancer resection a high-risk surgery. This case study describes a 64-year-old hypertensive female with a Body Mass Index of 31kg/m2 and a diagnosis of spindle cell neoplasm of the left lung for which lung resection was advised but due to low Pulmonary Function test (PFT) values subject was not considered fit for surgery. She was given a structured Pulmonary Rehabilitation (PR) program for 5 days a week, for 4 weeks. Results showed improvement in preoperative PFT values and 6 minute walking distance (6MWD) (from 330 meters to 420 meters). Also, Quality of life (QOL) assessed using FACT-L questionnaire score showed an improvement (from 30 to 70). Anxiety and Depression assessed using Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HADS) also showed improvement in both anxiety subscale score (from 15 to 11) and depression subscale score (from 17 to 10). This case report proposes preoperative PR as an intervention to improve preoperative fitness and decrease surgical morbidity.

Download PDF: 
DOI: 
http://dx.doi.org/10.24327/ijcar.2020.23216.4597
Select Volume: 
Volume9