Spirometer

[John_MiG-19]

I got no directions on how long to use my spirometer. I've been going hourly in my waking hours since I got home. How long should I continue doing this?

 

[Paleowoman]

Can you phone the hospital and ask them for how long you should use it ? I was never given a spirometer, I've no idea why, maybe certain hospital protocols ? Physiotherapist got us all doing breathing exercises and instructed to continue them at home.

 

[John_MiG-19]

Sent an email to the Doc's secretary.

Here is a line drawing of my spirometer:

http://www.mskcc.org/sites/www.mskcc.org/files/node/[nid]/images/spirometer.png

 

[Bina]

That thing was on my hospital table daily, but after 2 weeks I ignored it. Best to ask your doc or nurse.

 

[cldlhd]

You're supposed to breath in keeping the little floating ball in the proper range and trying to get the level as high as you can. Have to admit I didn't use mine as much as I was supposed to but the visiting nurses all said my lungs sounded clear.

 

[ejc61]

I used mine for at least a few weeks after surgery. It is pretty important.

 

[epstns]

At first I didn't like to use mine. I thought I'd do OK in time. Maybe, maybe not.

Once I got home, I developed fluid in my lungs (pleural effusion) and a nasty cough. You know how great it is to have a nagging cough in the weeks just after heart surgery, don't you? I found that if I used my spirometer more, my cough was less often. I increased my spirometer "sessions" for a few weeks, and the cough went away. Also, the pleural effusion didn't need anything stronger than over-the-counter ibuprofen.

Using the spirometer more or for longer periods of time will cause no harm. Skipping it or stopping it too soon may make your life miserable for longer than necessary.

 

[Odie]

I picked up mine the day before surgery. I played with it that day until I was comfortable using it and had a good sense of what by "before surgery" usage was like. After surgery, I kept it bedside and used it every couple of hours. I didn't enjoy using it but I did see gradual improvement each day. When I was discharged I still wasn't back to my "before" level. I continued to use it at home for another week until I was consistently seeing the pre-surgery levels.

 

[epstns]

Interesting point, Odie. It probably would have put my "type-A" mind more at ease had I known what my "spirometer score" was prior to surgery, so that I would have known how well or quickly I was recovering. Unfortunately, I did not get the choice, as the spirometer was not "issued" to me until I came out of surgery.

Might make sense for patients to ask for one before surgery if it is not offered.

 

[tom in MO]

I was told to do it for 1-2 weeks following release from the hospital, which would be about 2-3 weeks after surgery.

 

[John_MiG-19]

I was told two different things hourly and every other hour- and nothing upon exit. I have been going hourly for 12 hours a day.

The day after surgery I was getting an average if 1000 (ml??) of air with each breath- now I am nearing 2750-3000 with each breath - I am claiming a victory for this former smoker.

 

[big_L]

I used mine for 2 weeks after surgery.