title: Pulmonary function 4 months after coronary artery bypass graft surgery.
abstract: The objective of this study was to describe the pulmonary function and pain 4 months after coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Twenty-five male patients performed pulmonary function tests before surgery, on the 4th postoperative day and 4 months after surgery. A severe reduction in pulmonary function was present after surgery. Four months postoperatively, the patients still showed a significant decrease (6-13% of preoperative values) in vital capacity (P<0.001), inspiratory capacity (P<0.001), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (P<0.001) peak expiratory flow rate (P<0.001), functional residual capacity (P=0.05) total lung capacity (P<0.001) and single-breath carbon monoxide diffusing capacity (P<0.01). Residual volume and single-breath carbon monoxide diffusing capacity per litre of alveolar volume had returned to the preoperative level. Four months postoperatively, the median values for sternotomy pain while taking a deep breath was 0.2 and while coughing 0.3 on a 10 cm visual analogue pain scale. In conclusion, a significant restrictive pulmonary impairment persisting up to 4 months into the postoperative period was found after CABG. Measured levels of pain were low and could not explain the impairment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiotherapy and Thoracic Surgery, Orebro University Hospital, Orebro, Sweden. elisabeth.westerdahl@orebroll.se
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Westerdahl
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lindmark
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bryngelsson
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tenling
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D010366:Peak Expiratory Flow Rate / Q000502:physiology; D014109:Total Lung Capacity / Q000502:physiology; D014797:Vital Capacity / Q000502:physiology