Post-operative Rehabilitation in Klatskin Tumor: A Rare Case Report

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), commonly referred to as Klatskin tumor (KT), is a rare cancer that develops from the epithelium of the intra- or extrahepatic bile duct. This case outlines the impact of physiotherapy rehabilitation in a post-operative case of a KT in a 58-year-old male who presented with complaints of abdominal pain, nausea, constipation, and difficulty in urinating and reportedly exhibited generalized weakness, weight loss, and dyspnea. Following investigations such as computed tomography (CT) scan, the patient was diagnosed with a KT for which he underwent hepaticojejunostomy and was kept under observation, following which supervised physiotherapy intervention (PI) commenced from post-operative day (POD) 3. The outcome measure was peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), whereas the intervention involved diaphragmatic breathing exercises (DBEs), thoracic expansion exercises (TEEs), incentive spirometry (IS), range of motion (ROM) exercises, active cycle of breathing technique (ACBT), and ambulation. After two weeks of treatment, there were an improvement in cough frequency and an appreciable change in vital capacity (VC), and a significant increase in PEFR values was observed.