Abstract
BACKGROUND: Obesity can affect the thorax, diaphragm, and alterations in respiratory function even if the lungs are within normality. The respiratory compliance is very reduced by the increase in fat mass. AIM: To evaluate the effect of the physical therapeutic respiratory exercises on the thoracoabdominal mobility of obese individuals in pre-bariatric surgery. METHODS: Cross-sectional and descriptive study, which used the cirtometry (axillary, xiphoid and abdominal) to evaluate the mobility of 74 individuals, 27 men and 47 women, in pre-bariatric surgery, assisted by the team EMAD, after eight weeks of physiotherapy, following a protocol of exercises, reevaluating and compared the measures pre and post intervention. RESULTS: Had positive correlation abdominal mobility in the total volume of all participants (p=0.010) and also for all the measures in the measurement of residual volume in three levels (p=0.000). Comparing genders, in total volume, cirtometry abdominal greater for women (p=0.015) when compared to men and residual volume, significance for either men or women in all measurements (p=0.000). CONCLUSION: Obese patients that underwent the physiotherapeutic treatment during the preoperative period, had pré respiratory dynamics improved by the increase in the mobility of the chest cavity and by the improvement of respiratory conscience.