INTRODUCTION Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery is associated with higher survival rates and better quality of life among patients with coronary artery disease. 1,2 Use of left internal thoracic artery (LITA) grafts has been correlated with long-term benefits, 3 but this often requires pleurotomy and insertion of tubes to drain the cavity. 4,5 Pleural drains can be inserted into the subxiphoid region or the intercostal space with the main objective of maintaining or restoring the negative pressure of the pleural space. 6 However, they may impair the integrity of the ventilatory system, thereby compromising the respiratory mechanics and gas exchange after surgery. 7-9 Respiratory muscle strength may be evaluated through maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) and maximal expiratory pressure (MEP), which indicate the strength of the inspiratory and expiratory muscle groups respectively. 10 Predictions for MIP and MEP according to age and sex should preferably be considered within their clinical setting, because they may lead to a prognosis of postoperative pulmonary complications like respiratory muscle fatigue or failure. 11-13 MIP and MEP can be measured with the aid of a manometer or manovacuometer. In addition to being practical and non-invasive, this equipment has low cost, is easy to apply at the bedside and only requires simple inspiration and expiration movements from the patient. Studies on individuals undergoing CABG surgery have shown that insertion of the pleural drain in the subxiphoid position can minimize the chance of trauma to the thoracic wall, may preserve respiratory function in the immediate postoperative period and may lead to lower levels of subjective pain, compared with lateral intercostal insertion. 14-20 However, most of these studies