title: Assessment of Abdominal Belts Impact on the Lungs Ventilation and Their Application in Early Physiotherapy after Major Abdominal Surgery - Prospective Trial.
abstract: Early physiotherapy is an important part of the comprehensive treatment of patients after major abdominal surgery (MAS). Accelerated mobilization should be safe and requires the use of appropriate techniques. Most of the physiotherapists and surgeons recommends using abdominal belts. Opponents claim that belts have an adverse effect on lungs ventilation. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of abdominal belt on lung ventilation efficiency in the early period after MAS.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study involved 20 patients after MAS. Including 9 women and 11 men, aged between 40 to 90 years (x̅ 66.7). In the scheduled 7 patients and urgent 13. All of them were in the early period after surgery. Dynamic spirometry was performed twice in the postoperative period. For the first time wearing a belt, and then without the belt in the same group. Evaluated the forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and peak expiratory flow (PEF). For the analysis uses the Wilcoxon matched-pairs test and Spearman's rank correlations. P values <0.05 were considered significant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The value of the ventilation indicators measured wearing abdominal belt were slightly lower than the values evaluated without the belt. The results are shown in percent predicted for age and gender, FEV wearing belt 52%, without belt 53%; FEV1 59% vs 61%; PEF 46% vs 51%. There were no statistically significant differences Conclusions. There were no significant negative influence of abdominal belt on lungs ventilation in early period after MAS. There was no correlations between age, body mass index and changes in ventilation indicators.
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Czyżewski
authors.forename: Dominika
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hryciuk
authors.forename: Aneta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dąbek
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Szczepkowski
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen / Q000601:surgery*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001915:Braces; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008176:Lung Volume Measurements; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D011044:Poland; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012046:Rehabilitation / Q000379:methods*