Pre-op Use of Incentive Spirometry in Obese Patients

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the use of preoperative incentive spirometry (IS) as an aid to improve postoperative lung function. The hypothesis is that application of a standardized protocol of preoperative respiratory care teaching and exercise will improve lung performance that will subsequently result in prevention of postoperative pulmonary complications and that increasing the duration of preoperative use better improves lung mechanics postoperatively. The investigators propose to compare a patient population that uses IS as currently prescribed in the routine course of care (only to be familiar with preoperatively, but use postoperatively) against a population that uses IS with a standardized regimen for at least 3 days prior to the operation in terms of preoperative IS volumes, intraoperative pulmonary mechanics, postoperative IS volumes, and incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications.