The physiotherapy role in the morbid obesity surgical treatment is one more aid of importance and has as objectives:

Prepare the patient to the surgical act,

Act in the vascular and pulmonary complication prevention,

Promote pulmonary hygiene,

Restore the respiratory capacity optimizing alveolar, mechanical and respiratory ventilation,

Pulmonary oxygenation,

Orientate the post-surgical step,

Stimulate physical activity as pleasurable and necessary for quality of life maintenance.

In normal and efficient breathing there is an adequate integrity and coupling of the thorax components. When a patient is subjected to a bariatric surgery, a series of alterations happens:

Decrease of the pulmonary capacity and volume,

Decrease of the respiratory muscular strength and thoracic-abdominal behavior,

Generating loss of the respiratory function and important post surgical complications.

Physiotherapy, when well conducted, is able to perform, through its work, techniques and its equipment, the best and most comfortable patient attendance in his/her recovery period, with the aim to prevent and treat complications deriving from the lack of post surgical activity.

Physiotherapy attendance includes:

Pre surgical consultation for efficient post surgical recovery

The pre surgical respiratory preparation consists in stimulating and strengthening diaphragmatic musculature and thoracic expansibility, through respiratory exercise and with the aid of respiratory stimulators like RESPIRON, THESHOLD or VOLDYNE.

It falls to the physiotherapist to prevent circulatory complications like deep vein thrombosis (DVT), through exercise that stimulates the circulation and improve the peripheral oxygenation.

Orientation on the best way for the patients to perform the movements when getting out of bed, while they are recovering.

The post surgical treatment must be associated with the practice of physical activity and the postural reeducation, establishing muscular balance to the body, now lighter, to improve physical conditioning, enabling healthy weight loss, with the inspiration to physical activity practice as pleasurable and necessary for the maintenance of the quality of life.