Abstract Background: Cardiovascular and pulmonary complications often occur in the immediate post- surgery period and may be prevented and/or treated with lung expansion techniques. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of lung expansion techniques in serum arterial lactate levels and oxygenation in patients in this surgical recovery phase. Method: A prospective and analytical study was carried out in postoperative cardiac surgery patients, hemodynamically stable. Measurements of artery lactate levels and partial pressure of oxygen were obtained from arterial blood samples drawn […]