"Liuzijue" Qigong training enhances early pulmonary function recovery after esophageal cancer surgery

Table 1 Baseline characteristics and postoperative pneumonia incidence in esophageal cancer patients by intervention group, n (%)

Variable	Overall (n = 306)	Control group (n = 163)	Experimental group (n = 143)	P value
Age	58.55 ± 7.58	58.43 ± 7.60	58.69 ± 7.58	0.938
Sex				0.733
Male	185	100 (61.35)	85 (59.44)
Female	121	63 (38.65)	58 (40.56)
Body mass index	24.03 ± 1.42	23.97 ± 1.41	24.11 ± 1.43	0.907
Smoking				0.649
Yes	137	71 (43.56)	66 (46.15)
No	167	92 (56.44)	77 (53.85)
Surgical technique				0.997
Transthoracic esophagectomy	250	133 (81.60)	117 (81.82)
Ivor Lewis procedure	39	21 (12.88)	18 (12.59)
Three-port minimally invasive McKeown esophagectomy	17	9 (5.52)	8 (5.59)
Surgical duration (minute)	194.62 ± 35.91	194.06 ± 36.13	195.27 ± 35.77	0.927
Intraoperative blood loss	100.38 ± 23.02	99.40 ± 23.13	101.50 ± 22.93	0.786
Postoperative pneumonia				0.005
Yes	57	40 (24.54)	17 (11.89)
No	249	123 (75.46)	126 (88.11)

Table 2 Baseline pulmonary function and exercise capacity characteristics in preoperative patients with esophageal cancer across study groups, mean ± SD

Variable	Overall (n = 306)	Control group (n = 163)	Experimental group (n = 143)	P value
Forced vital capacity	3502.9 ± 841.8	3491.9 ± 845.2	3515.4 ± 840.6	0.808
FEV1	2734.4 ± 727.9	2705.2 ± 717.4	2767.8 ± 740.8	0.454
FEV1 to forced vital capacity ratio	90.0 ± 17.6	90.4 ± 17.8	89.5 ± 17.5	0.675
Diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide	19.8 ± 5.6	19.8 ± 5.3	19.9 ± 5.8	0.860
Maximum voluntary ventilation	117.2 ± 38.4	113.6 ± 37.4	121.2 ± 39.3	0.084
Total lung capacity	5964.4 ± 1146.7	5928.8 ± 1108.0	6005.1 ± 1192.0	0.562
Functional residual capacity	2236.8 ± 428.0	2230.9 ± 427.3	2243.4 ± 430.3	0.799
6-minute walk distance	449.1 ± 7.6	449.7 ± 7.4	448.4 ± 7.9	0.143
Modified Borg scale	1 (0-3)	1 (0-3)	1 (0-2)	0.821

FEV₁: Forced expiratory volume in 1 second.

Table 3 Comparative analysis of postoperative pulmonary function and exercise capacity assessments across study groups of esophageal cancer patients, mean ± SD

Variable	Overall (n = 306)	Control group (n = 163)	Experimental group (n = 143)	P value
Forced vital capacity	3094.4 ± 841.4	3265.4 ± 861.3	3013.3 ± 813.6	0.115
FEV1	2734.4 ± 727.9	2270.8 ± 797.2	2066.1 ± 740.5	0.021
FEV1 to forced vital capacity ratio	85.6 ± 10.1	85.1 ± 10.7	86.0 ± 9.3	0.418
Diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide	17.1 ± 5.9	17.1 ± 5.9	17.0 ± 5.9	0.880
Maximum voluntary ventilation	100.4 ± 35.6	99.1 ± 35.5	101.9 ± 35.7	0.507
Total lung capacity	5624.4 ± 1106.5	5622.3 ± 1110.3	5626.8 ± 1106.1	0.972
Functional residual capacity	2976.4 ± 592.8	2990.1 ± 606.8	2960.7 ± 578.2	0.664
6-minute walk distance	404.2 ± 14.6	404.9 ± 14.2	403.4 ± 15.0	0.379
Modified Borg scale	2 (0-4)	2 (1-3)	2 (0-4)	0.045

FEV₁: Forced expiratory volume in 1 second.

Table 4 Comparison of changes in pulmonary function and functional indicators in esophageal cancer patients during the perioperative period between groups, mean ± SD

Variable	Overall (n = 306)	Control group (n = 163)	Experimental group (n = 143)	P value
∆Forced vital capacity	408.5 ± 93.0	326.5 ± 26.7	502.1 ± 35.0	< 0.001
∆FEV1	559.3 ± 152.5	434.4 ± 90.8	701.7 ± 47.1	< 0.001
∆FEV1 to forced vital capacity ratio	4.4 ± 19.9	5.3 ± 20.4	3.5 ± 19.3	0.435
∆Diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide	2.7 ± 1.8	2.6 ± 1.8	2.8 ± 1.8	0.305
∆Maximum voluntary ventilation	16.8 ± 11.1	14.4 ± 10.1	19.4 ± 11.7	< 0.001
∆Total lung capacity	340.0 ± 699.8	306.4 ± 675.8	378.2 ± 726.7	0.371
∆Functional residual capacity	-739.6 ± 733.4	-759.2 ± 736.4	-717.3 ± 731.9	0.619
∆6-minute walk distance	45.0 ± 12.6	44.9 ± 12.7	45.0 ± 12.5	0.896
∆Modified Borg scale	-1.0 (-2 to 1)	-1.0 (-2 to 1)	-1.0 (-2 to 1)	0.815

Δ denotes the preoperative to postoperative change in measured values. FEV₁: Forced expiratory volume in 1 second.