Written by Shahrzad Jafari Jozani
Last Updated: 1/16/2025

Why would you need lung surgery?

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Why would you need lung surgery?

Lung surgery generally involves the removal of lung tissue to repair the damage or perform a biopsy. Lung surgery is sometimes performed to stem side effects of other procedures, such as when blood may need to be removed from the organ during a different surgical procedure. Patients may need lung surgery because they have:

  • Emphysema

  • Lung cancer, or another cancer that has spread to the lungs

  • To have a biopsy (a way of getting samples of lung tissue)

Who is the right candidate for lung surgery?

Most lung disorders do not require lung surgery. It is best to consult with a lung specialist in case of recurring wheezing, shortness of breath at rest, coughing up blood, and fatigue resulting from heavy breathing that does not ease with medication or therapy. Only a small percentage of patients with lung disorders and cancer are recommended for lung surgery. Patients may be declared as lung surgery candidates due to lung function, type of disorder or cancer, location of the tumor, lung surgery history of patient and family, type of cancer, and stage of metastasis. 

Why would you need lung surgery?

How Is Lung Cancer Surgery Performed?

The common approaches to removing portions of the lung include thoracotomy and minimally invasive surgery. Which are chosen based on the location, size, and stage of the lung tumor and the expertise of the surgeon.

  • Thoracotomy: Involves an incision on the side of the chest, dividing some of the muscles, using an instrument to gently spread between two ribs, giving access to the lung. The muscles are repaired when the incision is closed.

  • Minimally invasive surgery: Involving 1 to 4 small incisions to access the inside of the chest. The surgeon uses a camera to visualize the lung and special instruments to perform the surgery.

Complications and risks of lung surgery

  • Air leaks: If an airway is inadvertently damaged during the lung surgery procedure, it may cause serious complications.

  • Damage to surrounding areas: During this rare situation a blood vessel, such as a major artery or vein can be damaged; however, it can be treated by a lung surgeon who is highly specialized and comes with experience

  • Infections: These are more common risks 

  • Allergies to anesthesia: Since a lung operation requires general anesthesia, it is necessary to ascertain the patient will not face complications during surgery.

Why would you need lung surgery?

What Are the Potential Side Effects of Lung Cancer Surgery?

Though often effective in treating the disease, lung cancer surgery is also linked to serious medical side effects, including:

  • Excessive bleeding

  • Blood clots in the lungs or legs

  • Adverse reactions to anesthesia

  • Incision infections

  • Pneumonia

  • Lung collapse (pneumothorax)

  • Damage to nearby organs, especially the heart.

Lung cancer surgery can, in rare cases, result in death.

Why would you need lung surgery?

Lung surgery Recovery

Lung surgery is an invasive procedure and recovery from the operation takes time. Some of the symptoms during lung surgery recovery involve: 

  • Fatigue: The patient may feel a sense of lethargy stemming from extreme fatigue. Sometimes a lung surgery recovery diet is suggested, along with frequent naps and a restriction on too much traveling.

  • Shortness of breath: While lung surgery should essentially ease this symptom, it may become necessary to consult with a pulmonologist if this persists after surgery. Relaxation and deep breathing techniques will help in the meantime.

  • Skin reactions and hair fall: Side effects from drugs that are taken after lung surgery. Make sure to keep in touch with your specialist so your symptoms don’t lead to further complications.

  • Throat and mouth pain: Soreness in the throat region leading up to the mouth may occur during recovery. Patients will be provided with a lung surgery recovery diet that includes nutritious, but soft and moist food items that would aid in reducing lung surgery recovery time.

Conclusion

Lung surgery, a critical component of thoracic medicine, is a life-saving intervention for various pulmonary conditions, including lung cancer, which remains a leading cause of cancer death worldwide. With advancements in surgical techniques, patients now have access to a range of procedures, from minimally invasive options to more extensive surgeries like pneumonectomy. The success of lung surgery hinges on careful patient selection, precise staging, and postoperative care, which together contribute to increasing survival rates and improving quality of life. As the field progresses, ongoing research and innovation promise to further refine surgical methods, offering hope and enhanced outcomes for those facing lung-related health challenges.

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FAQs

There are several types of lung surgery, including lobectomy (removal of a lobe of the lung), pneumonectomy (removal of an entire lung), and wedge resection (removal of a small part of the lung).

Yes, most patients can breathe normally after lung surgery. However, the extent of breathing normalcy depends on the type of surgery and the amount of lung removed.

Recovery from lung surgery varies depending on the individual and the extent of the surgery. It typically involves a hospital stay for monitoring, followed by a period of rest and rehabilitation at home.

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