ABSTRACT
This study is designed to investigate the additional effect of intermittent positive pressure to chest physical therapy to improve lung functions and prevent pulmonary complications after cholecystectomy. Thirty patients schedualed for cholecystectomy were included in the present study. They were randomly assigned into two groups: Group [A], fifteen patients who received routine postoperative physical therapy program only, and Group [B], included 15 patients who received routine postoperative physical therapy program in addition to non-invasive intermittent positive pressure breathing. Evaluation of post operative pulmonary complications included pulmonary function test to measure vital capacity value which recorded 48 hours preoperatively, 24 hours post operative, 5[th] day post operative and day before discharge. The results of this study revealed a significant reduction in the vital capacity 24 hours post operative and gradual improvement at the end of fifth day post operative and day before discharge in the control group, but it was still below the pre operative values. Conversely there was a significant increase in the vital capacity at the day before discharge compared with pre operative value in the IPPB group, suggesting that intermittent positive pressure breathing plays an important role in improving chest expansion and mobility informs of alternating lung capacity for patients who have had cholecyctectomy