http://www.heart-valve-surgery.com/heart-surgery-blog/2008/10/08/how-to-use-an-incentive-spirometer/#comment-6293 Fri, 10 Oct 2008 21:58:07 +0000 http://www.heart-valve-surgery.com/heart-surgery-blog/2008/10/08/how-to-use-an-incentive-spirometer/#comment-6293 Hi Laura Lee, It is really quite simple and your nurse or respiratory therapist will give you complete instructions and make sure you do it correctly when you are in the hospital. The instructions will vary depending on your size, level of pain post op and other factors. They may or may not have you hold your breath at the end of inhalation. They may start you off at about 3 times your normal breath volume or about 1300 to 1600 milliliters and have you increase the volume after that. Practice by slowly breathing to the 2,000 level without holding your breath at the end. Breathe out normally. Its purpose is to help you to take deeper (larger) than normal breaths, which helps prevent your alveoli (small air sacks deep in your lungs where gas exchange takes place with your blood) from collapsing. Good luck. I am a Registered Respiratory Therapist and will be having aortic valve and partial aorta replacement in the next year or 2. Hi Laura Lee, It is really quite simple and your nurse or respiratory therapist will give you complete instructions and make sure you do it correctly when you are in the hospital. The instructions will vary depending on your size, level of pain post op and other factors. They may or may not have you hold your breath at the end of inhalation. They may start you off at about 3 times your normal breath volume or about 1300 to 1600 milliliters and have you increase the volume after that. Practice by slowly breathing to the 2,000 level without holding your breath at the end. Breathe out normally.
Its purpose is to help you to take deeper (larger) than normal breaths, which helps prevent your alveoli (small air sacks deep in your lungs where gas exchange takes place with your blood) from collapsing. Good luck. I am a Registered Respiratory Therapist and will be having aortic valve and partial aorta replacement in the next year or 2.

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