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Introduction: Cardiac surgery may affect the pulmonary function but some researchers demonstrated noticeable amelioration in pulmonary function after the valve surgery (mitral and aortic replacements). We focused on the following questions: how does the operation affect the respiratory mechanism and what changes are recorded? What respiratory abnormalities are observed among patients admitted to valve operation in our clinic? Methods: We studied pulmonary function by spirometry in 26 patients (the average age was 67,4years old). The following parameters were analyzed: vital capacity (VC), first second forced expiratory volume (FEV1), FEV1 % of VC (FEV1/VC), Maximal Expiratory Flow at 75% FVC (MEF 75), Maximal Expiratory Flow at 50% FVC (MEF 50), Maximal Expiratory Flow at 25% FVC (MEF 25) before the surgery, predischarge; and 2,5 months and 6 months follow up test. Results: On the 5th postoperative day FEV1 was 52,63; VC was 54,38; FEV1/VC was 103,31. At 2,5 months after the operation, FEV1 was 81,82; VC was 78,12; FEV1/VC was 102,61. At 6 months parameters remained at approximately 95% of values initially recorded. FEV1 was 85,89; VC was 83,27; FEV1/VC was 102,12. Conclusions: Cardiac surgery with a medium sternotomy generates a restrictive pattern of breathing. Changes found in spirometry had transient character and a linear amelioration in respiratory function after the surgery was observed. In a six-month follow - up spiromerty results are similar to those found before the operation. (Clin Exp Med Lett 2008; 49(3): 173-178)

Keywords: valve surgery, Spirometry, pulmonary complications