Role of Lung Recruitment Maneuvers in Elderly Post-operative Upper Abdominal Surgery

Background: A significant catastrophic side effect of upper abdominal surgery is postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs), which raise costs, morbidity, and mortality. Objective: The aim of the present study is to assess how lung recruitment maneuvers (LRMs) affect both the ventilatory functions and frequency of PPCs in geriatric patients. Patients and methods: A total of 80 geriatric patients from New Surgery Hospital in Zagazig University Hospitals for open upper abdomen surgery were recruited. The participants were randomly divided into two groups; 40 patients in the intervention group (preoperative LRMs training) and 40 patients in the control group (conventional perioperative care). Results: When compared to the first postoperative day, the intervention group's forced expiratory volume in one second, forced vital capacity, and oxygen saturation were significantly improved throughout the ventilatory function tests (p ≤0.001). Furthermore, the intervention group's reported lower PPCs incidence compared to the control group (15% vs. 30% on the 3rd postoperative day and 15% vs.37.5% on the 5th postoperative day, respectively). Conclusion: By restoring the measured lung volumes, LRMs effectively improve the perioperative management of geriatric patients by preventing PPCs.