Early postoperative mobilization with walking at 4 hours after lobectomy in lung cancer patients

Gen Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2007 Dec;55(12):493-8. doi: 10.1007/s11748-007-0169-8. Epub 2007 Dec 11.

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine whether walking at 4 h after surgery as a more aggressive way to proceed with early mobilization could be a safe approach compared with the patients who walked the day after surgery.

Methods: We encouraged patients who had lobectomy for non-small-cell lung cancer at Kansai Medical University Hospital to walk at 4 h after surgery and start pulmonary rehabilitation between January 2003 and June 2005. A group of 36 patients walked at 4 h after surgery. We retrospectively reviewed the postoperative courses of the patients and compared them with 50 patients who walked the next day during the same period.

Results: No patient had major trouble with chest drainage tube, and no patients fell when walking at 4 h. Amount of drainage, changing rates of the heart load during the walking, and pain scores after walking did not show significant differences in patients walking at 4 h and those walking the next day. Although four patients who walked the next day had an arterial oxygen partial pressure/inspired oxygen concentration ratio of <300 on day 3, none in the patients walking at 4 h had a ratio below this level. Among the patients walking at 4 h, 24 (67%) needed oxygenation for less than 2 days compared with 17 (34%) of the patients walking the next day.

Conclusion: Walking at 4 h after lobectomy in patients with non-small-cell lung cancers is a safe approach to starting pulmonary rehabilitation after surgery.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / physiopathology
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / rehabilitation*
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / surgery*
  • Early Ambulation* / adverse effects
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Lung / physiopathology
  • Lung / surgery*
  • Lung Neoplasms / physiopathology
  • Lung Neoplasms / rehabilitation*
  • Lung Neoplasms / surgery*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Pneumonectomy*
  • Recovery of Function
  • Respiratory Function Tests
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Time Factors
  • Treatment Outcome