What is lung cancer surgery?

A kind of malignant tumor that affect the lungs are called lung cancer. Cancers are the abnormal cell growth in the tissue. Surgeries are mainly used for treating non small cell lung cancer. The doctor suggests a surgery when the condition is in moderate or severe stage. According to the size of the tumor, the surgery type may also vary. Some of the common types of surgeries are described below:

Removing lobes of the lung:

The procedure is called a lobectomy. In this procedure, the doctor removes only one lobe of the cancer-affected lung. This type of surgery is recommended only if the cancer has affected only one part of the lung. It is considered as one of the most common types of lung cancer surgery. The surgery to remove two lobes of the lung is called bilobectomy. In rare number of cases, the doctor may suggest a sleeve resection. It is done if the cancer is in the central area of the lung and it is growing to the bronchi. In such cases, the surgeon may suggest a simple lobectomy too.

Removing the whole lung:

A pneumonectomy is a surgical procedure to remove the whole lung. This surgery is recommended only when the cancer is in the central area of the lung and has affected the 2 or 3 right lobes. People will be able to breath properly with one lung. To decide whether the surgery is right for the patient, the doctor may conduct a breath test before the surgery.

Removing a section of the lung

In some cases, the doctor may recommend removing certain areas of the lung. To remove a particular area, the surgeon may use a procedure called wedge resection. In this surgery, a part of one or more lobes may be removed. Removing the areas of the lung along with their arteries, veins and airways are called a segmentectomy. It is recommended when the cancer has diagnosed at an early stage and it has spread only to a small area. If the cancer cells are there anywhere else in the lung, the doctor will not recommend this surgery.

Keyhole surgery for lung cancer

If the cancer cells are very small and in its early stages, the surgeon may use a keyhole procedure. They are suggested for non small cell lung cancers. These kinds of surgeries are also called video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). During the procedure, the surgeon will pass a flexible thin tube attached to a telescopic camera in the chest through a small incision. The surgeon will examine the lung through the video. To carry out the surgery, the surgeon will insert surgical tools through the small cuts made on the chest.