Surgery of Lung Cancer

Surgery for lung cancer

Surgical methods used to treat lung tumors are determined depending on the size and location in the lungs of a malignant neoplasm. For lung cancer, surgery is performed by a thoracic surgeon. During such an intervention, the main goal is the complete removal of the lymph nodes close to the chest and the tumor formation in the lungs. A malignant tumor should be removed along the edge of normal lung tissue. Negative resection margins indicate the absence of malignancy in healthy tissue surrounding cancer, which was obtained from lung tissue or the lung to detect cancer.

The types of surgery that can be used for lung cancer are listed below as follows:

Lobectomy: in the anatomical structure, the lung has five lobes: 3 in the right lobe and 2 in the left. Lobectomy (removal of all lobes of the lung) is the most effective surgical method used in treating non-small cell lung cancer, even if the tumor is relatively small.

Segmentectomy: is another surgical method to remove a cancerous tumor if it is impossible to remove the entire lobe of the lung. Through this method, an area with a progressive cancerous tumor is removed.

Pneumonectomy: This method removes the lung altogether if the cancer is located near the center of the breast.

Improving the patient's health through surgery for lung cancer depends on the amount of lung tissue removed and the patient's general health before the operation. By talking to your doctor before starting the procedure, you can get the information you need about possible side effects and the process of improving your health.

Removal of lung lobes

A lobectomy is the removal of a lobe of the lung. If the cancer is located on only one side of the lungs, then this type of surgery may be offered to the patient to treat this type of cancer. In a lobectomy, two lobes of the lungs are removed.
Very rarely, a sleeve resection or resection of lung cancer may be used in treating patients with lung cancer. This surgical method can be used if the tumor is located in the center of the lungs and develops in one of the main airways, i.e., the bronchi. Through this method, the lobes of the lung are protected, while only the bronchi or the area around them, in which a cancerous tumor has formed, are removed.

Complete removal of the lung

The method of completely removing the entire lung is called a pneumonectomy. This method can be recommended for use if the tumor has formed in the central region of the lung or if the area of its defeat occupies two lobes of the left or three lobes of the right lung.

Although many patients worry that they will not be able to breathe normally with one lung, however, breathing done in this way does not cause any difficulty. If the patient's breathing is difficult to some extent before the start of the operation, then it is most likely that he will experience the same inconvenience after the procedure. If it is decided that the use of this type of surgery is correct, then before the start of the operation, the patient will be presented with a course of breathing exercises for his psychological mood.

Removal of a specific part of the lung

Through the application of some surgical methods, a certain part of the lung is removed. After establishing the boundaries of the area to be drawn, one or two lobes of the lung are removed. During a segmentectomy, along with the site of the spread of a cancerous tumor, the pulmonary arteries, veins, and airways located in the same area are also removed. This surgical method is used only if the cancer is diagnosed early and develops only in a small space. This method is not recommended if we assume that cancer cells are spread elsewhere in the lung.

Keyhole surgery for lung cancer

The keyhole technique is used in treating non-small cell lung cancer patients or at an early stage of oncological disease. This type of surgery is also called video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery.

During this operation, a flexible telescopic tube is inserted through a small incision, at the end of which a camera is located. Thus, it is possible to carefully monitor the condition of the lungs and record all samples obtained by this method. After that, the surgical instrument is reintroduced through 1, 2, or 3 small incisions in the chest, and the surgical operation continues.

Removal of lymph glands for lung cancer

During the operation, some lymph glands surrounding the lungs are removed. This is because the lymph nodes are likely to contain cancer cells that have spread by breaking away from main cancer. Taken for examination, suspicious lymph nodes are checked in the laboratory. The results during the course of the pathology determine the choice of further treatment for the patient after the operation if the lymph nodes contain cancer cells.

Spread of lung cancer

If there has been a spread or metastasis of a cancerous tumor to other parts of the body, in this case, as a rule, the use of surgical methods is not prescribed as the main treatment. Since it is impossible to clean or remove cancer cells anywhere in the body through surgical techniques used in certain areas, in this case, the patient has been prescribed chemotherapy instead of surgical procedures. The entire body is cleansed, and radiation therapy, a local treatment method, is used.

The general health of a patient with lung cancer

If the patient has a serious heart disease or another lung disease, performing the surgery will not be considered appropriate. Through a physical examination and a series of tests, it will be possible to assess the patient's suitability for operative surgery and determine the appropriate surgical method for him. If the patient's health does not meet the necessary conditions for surgical procedures, in this case, a course of radiation therapy and chemotherapy may be prescribed.