Upper abdominal surgeries are associated with postoperative pulmonary complications. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of preoperative chest physiotherapy on the clinical outcome in upper abdominal surgery patients. Fifty patients were equally randomised into control (general care) and intervention (preoperative chest physiotherapy) groups. Forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume, incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications, duration of surgery and days spent in intensive unit care were recorded. The intergroup difference in the spirometric values was significant post-surgery. A total of 11 patients experienced postoperative pulmonary complications. Significant difference in the mean duration of surgery and duration of stay in the intensive care unit in both the study groups was observed. Incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications was significantly associated with number of days spent in the intensive care unit. Significant increase in the spirometric values post-surgery in the intervention group implies the importance of preoperative chest physiotherapy in reducing postoperative complications.