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Aging Innovation in Perioperative Medicine and Surgery (AIMS)

Aging Innovation in Perioperative Medicine and Surgery (AIMS)

Welcome to the RESPONSE Breathing Program

Your care team has invited you to use this website to support The RESPiratory Prehabilitation to enhance Outcomes after plaNned thoracic Surgery (RESPONSE) Breathing Program for your thoracic (chest, lung, or esophagus) surgery. Here you’ll find short videos and information to help you practice breathing exercises before surgery and use them confidently during your recovery after surgery.

On this page:

Why Are Breathing Exercises Important Before and After Surgery

Your lungs work hard every day, and they play a big role in your recovery after surgery.

After surgery, it is common to take smaller, shallower breaths due to pain, discomfort, or fatigue. When breaths stay shallow for too long, the lungs do not fully expand, which can allow mucus to build up.

Breathing exercises help keep your lungs open, move mucus out of your chest, and reduce the risk of lung infections, such as pneumonia.

Your 3-Step Breathing Program

The RESPONSE Breathing Program has 3 steps:

Step 1 of the RESPONSE Breathing Program is Device Breathing Exercises (Green Booklet and Green Logbook). These exercises use the breathing device in your RESPONSE kit to strengthen your breathing muscles before your surgery. 

The breathing device adds resistance as you breathe in, which helps your breathing muscles build strength over time. Practicing regularly helps prepare your body for recovery after surgery.

What you need

  • Your Breathing Device
  • Nose Clips
  • Green Booklet 
  • Green Logbook (tab at the back of the Green Booklet)

Your Daily Schedule

Complete 2 sessions every day:

  • Morning: 10-15 breaths (slow or fast)
  • Evening: 10-15 breaths (slow or fast)

Goals

  • Strengthen your breathing muscles
  • Gradually increase your resistance level
  • Stay consistent with your sessions
  • Log your sessions in the Green Logbook 

Continue this routine every day before your surgery, up to the day of surgery. Logging your sessions will help you stay consistent and help your care team support you.

Step 2 of the RESPONSE Breathing Program is Deep Breathing Exercises Before Surgery (Blue Booklet and Blue Logbook). These exercises help support your recovery after surgery by keeping your lungs open and clear.

The Deep Breathing Exercises you practice before surgery are the same exercises you will continue after surgery. Practicing these exercises before surgery will help you feel more comfortable continuing them after surgery. 

What you need

  • Blue Booklet 
  • Blue Logbook (tab at the back of the Green Booklet)

Your Daily Schedule

Complete 1 session each day at any time:

  1. 10 Deep Breaths with 2-3 Stacking Breaths 
  2. 3 Coughs or Huffs with Splinting
  3. Rest for 30 seconds at your normal breathing pattern
  4. Repeat the entire sequence 1 more time

Goals

  • Practice the Deep Breathing Exercises so you feel comfortable continuing them after surgery
  • Log your sessions in the Blue Logbook

The exercises should feel slow, relaxed, and comfortable. Focus on breathing comfortably rather than reaching a set number of breaths. Logging your sessions will help you stay consistent and help your care team support you.

Step 3 of the RESPONSE Breathing Program is Deep Breathing Exercises After Surgery (Pink Booklet). These exercises are an important part of your recovery. 

Surgery and anesthesia can make it harder to take deep breaths and clear mucus from your lungs. If mucus stays in the lungs, it can increase the risk of lung infections, such as pneumonia.

These are the same Deep Breathing Exercises you practiced before surgery. Deep breathing, coughing, huffing, and splinting help move mucus out of your lungs and support comfortable breathing.

Continuing them after surgery can help you recover faster.

What you need

  • Pink Booklet 

Your Hourly Schedule

Complete 1 session every hour while you are awake.

  1. 10 Deep Breaths with 2-3 Stacking Breaths 
  2. 3 Coughs or Huffs with Splinting to help remove mucus from your lungs.
  3. Rest for 30 seconds (or longer if needed) at your normal breathing pattern
  4. Repeat the entire sequence 1 more time
  5. Rest until your next session.

Goals

  • Repeat these exercises every hour until you are able to get up and walk around regularly, or as instructed by your care team.  
  • Remove mucus from your lungs to support recovery

Continue doing these exercises until you are able to get up and walk around regularly, or as instructed by your care team.

Remember to take breaks when necessary. You do not need to log your Deep Breathing Exercises after surgery.

Tutorial Videos for Your Breathing Exercises

These short video tutorials are here to support your RESP​ONSE Breathing Program. They walk through the breathing exercises step by step and can help you feel more confident using the techniques at home or in the hospital.

Device Breathing Exercises (Green Booklet)

This video is for Device Breathing Exercises (Step 1 of the RESPONSE Breathing Program). It will show you how to set up your breathing device, how to adjust the resistance, and how to use the device correctly. Using the breathing device consistently will help strengthen your breathing muscles before surgery.

It may be helpful to have your breathing device, nose clips, Green Booklet, and Green Logbook when you watch the video.

Deep Breathing Exercises (Blue & Pink Booklets)

These videos are for Deep Breathing Exercises (Step 2 and 3 of the RESPONSE Breathing Program). They will show you the Deep Breathing Exercises to practice before surgery and continue after surgery.

The videos demonstrate Deep Breaths, Stacking Breaths, Coughing, Huffing, and Splinting. Practicing the Deep Breathing Exercises before surgery will help you feel more confident when continuing them after surgery. 

How to Help Your Recovery After Surgery

There are several ways to help your recovery after surgery:

Breathing exercises practiced before and after surgery can help to:

  • keep your lungs open
  • move air in and out more effectively
  • clear mucus from your chest
  • improve oxygen levels in your body
  • reduce the risk of lung complications, such as infection
  • support recovery after surgery

Logging your breathing exercises helps you stay consistent and helps your care team understand how your breathing program is going. Use the Green Logbook and Blue Logbook to log daily exercises.

You can log:

  • When you used your breathing device
  • When you completed deep breathing exercises
  • Any notes (for example: “felt easier today”)

Small reminders can make a big difference. Try one or more of these ideas to build a habit for your breathing program:

  • Keep your breathing device near something you use every day, such as your toothbrush or phone charger
  • Pair breathing exercises with a daily activity, like before a meal or washing dishes
  • Set a reminder or alarm on your phone or watch
  • Keep your logbook in a place you can see as a visual reminder of your routine
  • Ask a family member or caregiver to help remind you, especially after surgery

Building a routine takes time, and missing a session does not mean you have failed. Do what you can each day and return to your routine at the next opportunity, adjusting it as needed to support your prehabilitation and recovery.

There’s no need to be perfect, the goal is simply to track your effort and build the habit.

RESPONSE Breathing Program Resources

This section includes digital versions of the booklets and logbooks used throughout the program. If you have misplaced or need another copy of your RESPONSE Breathing Program materials, you can download them here.

Welcome Guide(426.68 KB)
Step 1: Device Breathing Exercises (Green Booklet and Logbook)(1.57 MB)
Step 2: Deep Breathing Exercises Before Surgery (Blue Booklet and Logbook)(789.83 KB)
Step 3: Deep Breathing Exercises After Surgery (Pink Booklet)(949.57 KB)

Questions? We’re Here to Help

If you have any questions about your breathing exercises or how to use your breathing device, please don’t hesitate to
contact our team.

Phone: 1-877-372-7316

Email: prehab@toh.ca

We can also arrange a video call to:

  • Walk through how to use your breathing device.
  • Practice device breathing exercises together.
  • Answer any questions you may have.

You don’t have to figure it out alone. We’re here to help you feel confident and prepared for surgery.