What is day-to-day recovery like after LVRS for COPD?

[JerryM]

I’ve been diagnosed with mild COPD, and my doctor mentioned I might be a candidate for lung volume reduction surgery. Honestly, the idea of an operation on my lungs is pretty daunting, and I’m trying to understand what the recovery is genuinely like day-to-day. I’m particularly worried about how long it might take before I can get back to simple things around the house without getting completely winded.

[Riley4]

LVRS was rough but doable for me. The first two weeks home I mostly rested, stood at the sink for a minute, then sat down. By week four I could walk the length of my driveway and back with long rests, and I managed light chores with frequent breaks. By two months I was going up and down stairs slowly, breathing paused after each flight. It took about three months before I felt back to my usual pace most days, but there were still days I needed extra breaks.

[Zachary76]

Is the real issue the surgery or just deconditioning and anxiety about breath? I know folks who had rehab and it helped a lot more than I expected, so I wouldn’t assume you’ll be fixed by the operation alone.

[Addison_R]

I didn’t go through the surgery, but after a long spell of not moving much I tried a five minute slow walk and it burned in the chest. It got a little better with a simple routine—two to three short walks a day, with rest breaks. The first couple weeks I needed a chair nearby to sit down during tasks; after a while I could do small chores without collapsing, but nothing heavy for months.

[Eric63]

One moment I got optimistic and tried to jump back into chores, and then the body reminded me. I kept a timer for five minutes of activity, then rested. It helped me avoid flaring up and coughing fits, but it felt like a ceiling I kept bumping into. Also the dog kept needing walks, which helped in a strange way.