On the fourth postoperative day the patients are randomly assigned to a Treatment group continuing to perform deep breathing exercises for 2 months postoperatively and to a Control group who will perform no breathing exercises after the third postoperative day. Patient management is otherwise similar in the groups. The patients in the Deep breathing group will be instructed to perform breathing exercises (3 x 10 deep breaths) 5 times a day (document compliance) during the two postoperative months.

No breathing exercises.

On the fourth postoperative day the patients are randomly assigned to a Treatment group continuing to perform deep breathing exercises for 2 months postoperatively and to a Control group who will perform no breathing exercises after the third postoperative day. Patient management is otherwise similar in the groups. The patients in the Deep breathing group will be instructed to perform breathing exercises (3 x 10 deep breaths) 5 times a day (document compliance) during the two postoperative months. A Positive expiratory pressure (PEP) device PEP ventil, System 22 (Rium Medical, Täby, Sweden) is used to create an expiratory resistance of +10 cm H2O.

Spirometry is performed preoperatively and 2 months after surgery at the Departments of Clinical Physiology. A Jaeger MasterScreen Pulmonary functiontest (PFT)/Bodybox will be used at the University hospitals in Uppsala and Örebro. The medical laboratory technologists are blinded to the patient's treatment allocation. Static and dynamic lung volumes will be measured.

Physical activity, postoperative pain, day of discharge, signs of pneumonia or pulmonary comlications will be noted. Patient-perceived quality of recovery will be assessed using a translated version of a recently validated quality of recovery score (QoR-40) designed to measure the patient's health status after surgery and anaesthesia. The SF (short form) -36 (first version) will be used for assessment of quality of life aspects.