When to stop the incentive spirometer?

[big_L]

No one told me when to stop. I'm 2.5 weeks out and routinely pulling 2125 or 2500 ml on the spirometer with no pain at all.

How long were you told to keep doing it?

 

[dg_moore]

Likewise - I stopped at 4 weeks because I wasn't having any breathing problems and wasn't seeing any change on the spirometer.

 

[tom in MO]

I was told to stop at 2 weeks after discharge (I was in for a week.)

 

[Classtime Sailer]

20 months post op and I still do it a few times a week. Lately, I can almost fill that thing up. I think that I lost a lot of flexibility in my ribs after two surgeries and I should have been more aggressive in combating that early on.

 

[AZ Don]

How long were you told to keep doing it?

I wasn't. I did it routinely when I first came home but not so regularly after the first couple weeks and after 4 weeks when I was given the ok to increase my exercise I stopped completely.

 

[danguy]

The purpose of incentive spirometer is to prevent the fluid buildup in lungs. So you excersize with it as long as you have fluids in your lungs, which is different from patient to patient. I suggest to ask your doctor, if you can.

 

[pellicle]

The purpose of incentive spirometer is to prevent the fluid buildup in lungs..

Thanks no one ever told me that before. I got answers like its was for muscle development and the lungs as a nebulous concept.

 

[danguy]

It is to fight atelectasis (collapse of lungs) and accumulation of bronchial secretions, according to this site: http://www.ceu.org/cecourses/981130/ch7.htm . I remember I was sent to X-Rays to check if my lungs are fully expanded or not yet.