Accelerated Pulmonary Rehabilitation in the Preoperative Period

Prehab will include 2, one-hour sequential sessions of PR per day as is standard, however this intervention will increase the frequency from 2 days to 4 days per week, for 2 weeks, thus completing 16 sessions of PR prior to surgery. An exercise prescription will be written by the medical director based on initial 6MWD, age, height, weight, and co-morbidities, as is standard of care. Prior to each session, patients are evaluated for symptoms and vital signs are measured. Exercise will include 30 minutes of warm-up and upper and lower extremity resistance training, either against gravity or with resistance bands as appropriate. Exercise will then move to the open gym, where patients utilize endurance equipment of their choosing, such as a treadmill or recumbent bicycle. As with traditional PR, participants will be given online education videos regarding lung health to complete at home, with a supplementary video on breathing techniques to reduce atelectasis from pain.