Pre-Operative Lung Assessment in Sharjah
Medically reviewed by Dar Al Kamal Team
What is a pre-operative lung assessment?
A pre-operative lung assessment is a focused review by a pulmonologist in the weeks before a planned operation. Its purpose is practical: to find out how well your lungs are working now, bring any breathing condition to its best possible level, and give the anaesthetic and surgical teams a clear picture before the day itself.
Anaesthesia and surgery place specific demands on the lungs. Sedation relaxes the muscles that keep the upper airway open, pain after an abdominal or chest operation makes deep breaths and coughing harder, and lying still for long periods lets small airways close off. Healthy lungs cope well with all of this. Lungs affected by asthma, COPD, sleep apnoea or years of smoking benefit from preparation, and that preparation is what this assessment provides.
At Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah, the assessment sits within the pulmonology service and works alongside the pre-anaesthetic assessment and, where several conditions are involved, the internist-led pre-operative medical assessment, which covers diabetes, blood pressure and medicines in general.
Who needs it
Your surgeon or anaesthetist may suggest a lung review if you have:
- Asthma or COPD, especially with a recent flare-up or a course of steroid tablets
- Unexplained breathlessness on stairs or slopes
- Heavy smoking, including cigarettes, shisha, dokha or midwakh, or daily vaping
- Loud snoring, observed pauses in breathing, or known obstructive sleep apnoea
- Bronchiectasis, interstitial lung disease or previous lung surgery
- An operation on the upper abdomen or chest, where the effect on breathing is greatest
For people with more complex combined risks, the anaesthetic team may also arrange a high-risk anaesthesia assessment. The pulmonologist, anaesthetist and surgeon agree together on timing, and occasionally on whether a short delay to improve the lungs gives a safer operation.
What happens
The appointment begins with a detailed breathing history: how far you walk before stopping, how often you use your reliever, recent chest infections, smoking and occupational exposure such as construction or industrial dust. The pulmonologist then examines your chest.
Most patients have spirometry, a quick blowing test that measures how much air you can move and how fast. Where the operation is major or the picture is unclear, full lung function testing adds lung volumes and gas transfer. A chest X-ray or CT scan is arranged through radiology when the history calls for it. If sleep apnoea is suspected, a sleep study may be recommended before the surgery date.
You leave with a written summary for the anaesthetist, covering your lung function, the inhaler plan and any sleep apnoea arrangements.
Preparing for it
Bring every inhaler you use, in the actual devices, together with a list of all your medicines and any previous chest scans or breathing test results. Wear comfortable clothing for the blowing tests, and follow the instructions given at booking about which inhalers to pause beforehand.
Stopping smoking before surgery is the single most useful thing you can do. Carbon monoxide from cigarette or shisha smoke binds to red blood cells in place of oxygen, and it clears from the blood quickly once you stop, so even a smoke-free night before surgery helps oxygen delivery. A longer smoke-free gap gives the airways time to clear mucus and supports wound healing. Help is available through smoking cessation support.
Inhaler optimisation is equally valuable. The aim is to arrive with your preventer used daily and correctly, your technique checked, and your reliever needed rarely.
Afterwards
If you use a CPAP machine for sleep apnoea, bring the machine, mask, tubing and power lead to hospital with your name on it. Strong pain relief and sedation relax the airway further after surgery, so wearing your own familiar device while you sleep in hospital is part of the plan.
After the operation, deep breathing exercises, getting up and moving early, and supported coughing help the lungs re-expand. Keep using your preventer inhaler through the hospital stay and bring enough supply.
Contact the hospital or your surgical team if you develop a fever, a worsening cough, discoloured sputum or increasing breathlessness in the days after surgery. Call emergency services or go to the nearest emergency department if you have severe breathlessness, chest pain, blue lips or confusion.
Cost and insurance
Many UAE insurance plans cover a specialist lung review and spirometry when requested as part of surgical planning, and full lung function testing, CT or sleep studies often need pre-approval. Confirm your cover with Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah on 06 599 7777 before the appointment.
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Frequently asked questions
Why do I need a lung assessment if my operation is not on my chest?
A lung assessment matters for most operations under general anaesthesia, because anaesthesia, pain and lying still all affect breathing whichever part of the body is being operated on. Upper abdominal surgery in particular reduces how deeply you breathe for several days afterwards.
How soon before surgery should I stop smoking?
Stopping smoking at any point before surgery helps, and the earlier you stop, the greater the benefit. Carbon monoxide clears from the blood quickly, while the airways and wound healing improve with a longer smoke-free gap, and this applies to shisha, dokha and vaping as well as cigarettes.
Should I keep using my inhalers on the day of surgery?
Most people continue their usual inhalers up to and including the day of surgery and bring them to hospital. Follow the specific plan given at your assessment, and never stop a preventer inhaler on your own.
I have sleep apnoea — what should I bring to hospital?
Bring your CPAP machine, mask, tubing and power lead, labelled with your name, so you can use it after surgery. Tell the anaesthetist about your sleep apnoea at the pre-anaesthetic visit, even if you have been treated for years.
Can my operation be postponed because of my lungs?
An operation is occasionally rescheduled when a short delay would clearly make it safer, for example during a chest infection or an asthma flare-up. The decision is made jointly by your surgeon, anaesthetist and pulmonologist, and planned surgery usually goes ahead once the lungs have been brought under control.
What are the risks of a pre-operative lung assessment?
The risks of a pre-operative lung assessment are minimal, because spirometry is a breathing test with no needles; forceful blowing can briefly cause light-headedness or coughing. Its limitation is that it lowers, rather than removes, the chance of chest complications such as pneumonia after surgery, and a chest X-ray or CT involves a small dose of radiation.
Is this the same as the pre-operative medical assessment?
The pre-operative lung assessment focuses on your breathing, while the pre-operative medical assessment is an internist's broader review of conditions such as diabetes, blood pressure and your medicines. Some people have both, and the two reports go to the same anaesthetic team.
Is a pre-operative lung assessment covered by insurance?
Many UAE insurance plans cover a pre-operative lung review and spirometry requested as part of surgical planning, with some further tests needing pre-approval. Confirm your cover with Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah on 06 599 7777.
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