How long does it take to recover after a lobectomy?

Because of lung cancer or other diseases, lobectomy may be required. After lobectomy, the patient's respiratory function will decline significantly. At this time, rehabilitation and conditioning must be carried out in time. About one month after the operation, the patient can basically recover to normal, and after three months, he can engage in general simple physical activities. After the operation, you should pay attention to a light diet, quit smoking and drinking, especially prevent colds, and do some appropriate exercises on respiratory function.

Lobectomy postoperative care

1. Keep the airway open after surgery

Timely elimination of respiratory secretions is an effective measure to prevent complications. One method of assisting in expectoration is back tapping: the patient sits down, and the nurse stands by the bed and cups his hands to increase the resonance force and loosen the phlegm. Start at the base of the patient's lungs. Perform forceful tapping on the chest or back from top to bottom, from the edge to the middle. At the same time, ask the patient to cough and press the chest on the operated side with his hand. Relax in time when inhaling and apply pressure when coughing to relieve wound pain. Nebulizer inhalation; routine nebulizer inhalation for about 3 days after surgery, 15-20 minutes each time, and the smoke should not be too large; when the patient has a dry throat and thirst that affects coughing, gargle or drink a small amount of warm water as appropriate.

2. Care of chest drainage tube:

The purpose of placing a drainage tube after lobectomy is to drain the accumulated air, fluid and blood in the patient's chest to the outside of the body in a timely manner, so that the remaining lung can be re-expanded in time, which helps to eliminate the residual cavity in the chest. Therefore, after lying flat for 6 hours after surgery, the patient should change to a semi-sitting position to facilitate drainage. Pay attention to whether the water seal bottle cap is loose and whether the tube is detached, twisted or bent. In order to maintain the drainage tube of the water seal bottle and prevent blood clots from blocking the tube lumen, pay attention to the movement of the water column in the water seal bottle, the nature, color, and amount of the drainage fluid, and keep records.

3. Early activities, rest and pain relief.

Appropriate analgesia is given. Commonly used analgesic methods include analgesic pumps. Patients are encouraged to move early. They can sit by the bed on the second day after surgery, and can stand slightly if their condition permits. They can move around indoors after 3 days. Early activities can promote the recovery of various body functions, increase lung ventilation, and facilitate the discharge of phlegm. They can also allow accumulated blood, air, and fluid to be discharged through the drainage tube, thus promoting lung re-expansion.

4. Take good care of your diet.

Six hours after waking up from the operation, the patient should be given a high-protein, high-calorie, high-vitamin, easily digestible liquid or semi-liquid diet in small amounts and frequent meals, which will help improve the body's tissue repair and defense capabilities.

5. Strengthen physical function training:

Due to the long bed rest time after surgery, the patient should be turned over every 2 hours and the pressure areas of the skin should be massaged 6 hours after surgery. On the second day after surgery, the patient should be asked to use his upper limbs to comb his hair, hold a bowl, touch the contralateral auricle from the top of the head, etc. The purpose is to exercise the pectoralis major muscle on the affected side and prevent chronic paralysis of the affected upper limb.