Thirty male and female adolescent patients who underwent valve surgery aged 12-18 years old, recruited from the national heart institute enrolled in this experimental. They were assigned into two matched groups: Experimental group consisted of 15 patients, received positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) with a mouthpiece in addition to routine chest physiotherapy (postural drainage, percussion, vibration, and deep breathing exercises). Control group consisted of 15 patients, received routine chest physiotherapy alone. The program continued for four weeks.
Pulmonary mechanics are further disturbed after cardiothoracic surgery that manifests like restrictive pathology, which may persist for weeks to months postoperatively. This experimental aimed to investigate the efficacy of a positive end-expiratory pressure device on maximum expiratory pressure, maximum voluntary ventilation, and dyspnea index in patients who underwent valve surgery.