[Elasticity of the lungs under physical loading in congenital heart defect patients before and after surgery]

Under conditions of an increasing physical exercise from 25 to 100 watts the distensibility of lungs (CL) was investigated in 18 non-operated and 33 operated patients with a congenital heart disease. The decrease of CL was more pronounced in the group of non-operated patients. Changes in CL were found to depend on the blood filling of the vascular bed of the lungs. The determination of CL under an increasing physical exercise may be used for the estimation of the functional capacity of the pulmonary ventilatory apparatus.