title: Rationale and clinical benefits of an intensive long-term pulmonary rehabilitation program after oesophagectomy: preliminary report.
abstract: Patients who undergo oesophagectomy for oesophagealcancer (OC) usually have an overall poor prognosis and, still more preoccupying, an unsatisfactory quality of life (QoL). Considering that, as already noted, post-operative pulmonary function has a strong correlation with the long-term outcome and QoL after surgery, we have assumed and speculated on the clinical benefits of an intensive long-term pulmonary post-operative rehabilitation program in this particular subset of patients.Herein, we report the preliminary results of a comparative retrospective analysis in a series of 58 patients who underwent radical oesophagectomy and post-operative chest physical therapy (CPT) under two different protocols, from October 2006 to January 2011.Finally, we discuss on the time-trend analysis of pulmonary function and the potential role of post-operative pulmonary rehabilitation.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Largo F, Vito 1, Rome, Italy. filippo_lococo@yahoo.it.
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lococo
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cesario
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sterzi
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Magrone
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dall'armi
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mattei
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Varone
authors.forename: Venanzio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Porziella
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Margaritora
authors.forename: Pierluigi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Granone