Background & objectives: Abdominal surgeries are the most common operative procedures including a wide range of both emergency and elective surgical interventions. Postoperative Pulmonary complications following upper abdominal surgery are the most common surgical complications. The combined effect of surgical trauma and anaesthesia results in reduced lung volumes and respiratory muscle dysfunction. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of pre-operative respiratory muscle training on pulmonary function test (PFT) and Respiratory muscle strength after abdominal surgery.

Methodology: Total number of 104 participants of both the gender with age group between 30 to 70 years, who were planning for major abdominal surgery were to be divided in to two groups i.e. experimental group (Group- A) and control group (Group- B). The experimental group was to undergo a pre-operative respiratory muscle training and post operatively both groups were to receive conventional physiotherapy treatment. All the participants were assessed for pulmonary function test and respiratory muscle strength at the baseline, before surgery, at 3^rd day, 7^th day and 21^st day post operatively.

Results: There were statistically significant differences (p<0.01) found in all the outcome measures in both groups. Further, comparison was done between the groups. It was found that the experimental and control groups were not different statistically. But on 3^rd day and 7^th day in pulmonary function test parameters (FVC, FEV₁, MVV) and respiratory muscle strength parameters (MIP and MEP) there was significantly difference (p<0.01) in the experimental group compare to control group.