OBJECTIVES: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) associated with heart disease is common; this fact leads to increase the number of postoperative complications. The aim of this study was to evaluate the benefits of preoperative physiotherapy (PT) among patients with COPD. METHODS: Thirty-seven patients with COPD were included in the study those who underwent open heart surgery. Group1 (n=17) participated in pre- and postoperative PT while Group2 (n=20) received only postoperative PT. Inclusion criteria: open heart surgery and patients diagnosed with COPD or have FEV1<80%. Spirometric measurements (vital capacity=VC, forced expiratory volume=FEV1, maximum expiratory pressure=PEF) performed preoperatively and on the 3rd and 7thpostoperative days. Operative data, duration of mechanical ventilation, average stay of intensive care unit, incidence of atelectasis were also assessed. IBM SPSS Statistics 20 software was used for statistical analysis; t-test and Pearson-correlation was applied (p<0.05). RESULTS: VC, FEV1, PEF showed significantly decrease in Group1 (21.29±13.40%; 19.71±17.96%; 4.18±20.09%) compared to Group2 (34.70±17.54%; 32.85±11.95%; 24.65±21.65%), (p1=0.013, p2=0.011, p3=0.002). Compared to the preoperatively measured, the fail of the three measured respiratory functional values on the 7th postoperative day was significantly smaller in Group1 than Group2 (VC, FEV1, PEF; Group1: 14.18±12.61%; 12.82±14.31%; -6.29±18.46%; Group2: 25.60±16.11%; 23.05±14.93%; 13.70±19.28%; p1=0.043, p2=0.046, p3=0.004). There was no difference between groups in duration of mechanical ventilation and average stay of intensive care unit. Incidence of atelectasis was 10% in Group1, while 0% in Group2. Pre- and postoperative respiratory functional values did not correlate significantly with extubation time (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The applying of preoperative PT to cardiac surgical patients with COPD is effective since the examined respiratory functional values reduced less and increased better in the postoperative period at the preoperatively treated group.