title: Functional exercise capacity and lung function in patients undergoing an early rehabilitation program after the Nuss procedure: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to compare the functional exercise capacity and the lung function among patients undergoing early rehabilitation with those submitted to the conventional care after pectus excavatum repair using the Nuss procedure.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients were randomly allocated to the early rehabilitation group (ERG) who started rehabilitation after surgery and the group of the conventional care (CG) received routine care of the institution. They were evaluated before surgery (preoperative) and in hospital discharge day (postoperative).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty patients were evaluated, twenty in each group. All patients presented a significant reduction in FVC, FEV1, and PEF in the postoperative period, there was no statistically significant difference between groups. There was significant different in postoperative functional exercise capacity between the ERG and CG (506.26 ± 66.54 vs 431.11 ± 75.61, p = 0.02) and the difference between distance walked in the preoperative and postoperative period was lower in the ERC than in the CG (76.57 ± 49.41 vs 166.82 ± 70.13, p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients undergoing the early rehabilitation after the Nuss procedure presented a better postoperative functional exercise capacity in hospital discharge day compared with patients in the conventional group, with no difference in lung function between groups.
authors.affiliation: Heart Institute, University of São Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil. sgdlinhares@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Sâmia Georgia Dantas
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Linhares
authors.affiliation: Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, Paris, France.
authors.forename: João Carlos Das-Neves
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: Heart Institute, University of São Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Paulo Manuel Pêgo
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Fernades
authors.affiliation: Heart Institute, University of São Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: José Ribas Milanez
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: de Campos
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D017079:Exercise Tolerance / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005660:Funnel Chest / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011184:Postoperative Period; D012143:Respiratory Physiological Phenomena; D013905:Thoracoplasty / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: 6-Minute walk test; Early rehabilitation; Lung function test; Nuss procedure; Pectus excavatum; Postoperative care