Lung cancer surgery can vary depending on the type and stage of the malignancy. Any kind of surgery may involve the removal of some lymph nodes in the area of the cancer to determine if the disease has spread. This helps determine the need for follow-up treatment. There are several operations that may be used to treat lung cancer.
Deciding Whether Surgery is Appropriate
Once your doctor determines that your lung cancer can most likely be treated with surgery, pulmonary function tests will be conducted before and after the operation to find out if you will have ample lung tissue left over after the surgery.
Pneumonectomy
During a pheumonectomy the entire cancerous lung is removed. A pneumonectomy can help prevent further deterioration of your health and may offer the most promising prognosis for your cancer.
Lobectomy
When a patient undergoes a lobectomy, one of the lung's five lobes is removed. This operation can alleviate some of the symptoms associated with lung cancer. As with a pheumonectomy, a lobectomy may stop the advancement of the disease and result in a positive long-term outcome.
Wedge and Segmental Resection
A wedge resection removes a small, wedge-shaped section of the lung that contains cancerous cells and a portion of surrounding healthy tissue. The operation may be used in place of a lobectomy when there is a high risk of decreased lung function if too much of the lung is taken out. A wedge resection may also be performed to diagnose lung cancer.
When a larger area of the lung is removed it is called segmental resection (segmentectomy).
Surgery for Cancer That has Spread
If the cancer has moved beyond the lungs into the brain or adrenal gland and only one tumor is present, it may help to remove the metastasis. This operation should be performed only if the entire lung tumor can be removed.
Video-assisted Thoracic Surgery
A less-invasive procedure for treating some early-stage lung cancers is called video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS). A slender telescopic tube with a minute video camera on the end is placed through a small hole in the chest to enhance the surgeon's view of the chest cavity. Since this procedure makes only small incisions, the recovery time is much faster than traditional surgery.
Possible Side Effects
Possible surgery complications depend on the extent of the operation and the overall health of the patient. Risks can include excessive bleeding, infections at the site of the wound and pneumonia. In very rare cases, the patient may die during or after the operation.
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