Sixty patients undergoing cholecystectomy were studied and allocated at random to a control group and a treated group to whom physiotherapy instruction was given. Respiratory function tests were recorded pre-operatively and on the 2nd and 5th post-operative days. These showed no statistical difference in values pre-operatively, a statistically significant difference in value in both groups for all tests on the 2nd postoperative day, with maintenance of such reduced value for forced vital capacity (F.V.C) and peak flow (P.F.) in the control group on the 5th post-operative day.