When tumors have not spread widely, surgical intervention can effectively remove the malignancy, provided the patient maintains sufficient pulmonary function to tolerate the procedure.
Evaluating Eligibility and Lung Function
Before scheduling an operation, medical teams perform extensive lung function tests to determine whether a patient is healthy enough for the procedure, as reported by the American Lung Association. Surgery is typically reserved for patients with early-stage NSCLC. Furthermore, surgery is rarely utilized for small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) because SCLC spreads rapidly and widely throughout the body, making complete surgical removal nearly impossible.
Patients who smoke are strongly advised to quit prior to surgery to assist the body’s recovery process, according to the American Lung Association. Medical teams also provide specific guidelines regarding food, drink, and medications to manage discomfort ahead of the operation.
Types of Lung Cancer Procedures
Standard surgical options include:
- Lobectomy: Removes the specific lobe containing the cancerous tumor. The right lung has three lobes and the left lung has two. Doctors prioritize this procedure whenever possible for NSCLC.
- Segmentectomy or Wedge Resection: Removes a smaller portion of a lobe rather than an entire lobe, often selected if a full lobectomy would overly compromise lung function.
- Pneumonectomy: Removes an entire lung, typically performed if a tumor sits close to the center of the chest or if a lobectomy cannot fully eliminate the disease.
- Sleeve Resection: Involves removing a cancerous lobe along with part of a large airway, or bronchus, before reconnecting the remaining healthy airway sections. This is sometimes performed instead of a pneumonectomy to ease breathing.
Surgical Techniques: Open Versus Minimally Invasive
Once unconscious, surgeons access the lungs using traditional or minimally invasive techniques.
Alternatively, surgeons may use minimally invasive approaches such as video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) or robotic-assisted surgery.
Robotic-assisted surgery functions as an extension of the surgeon’s eyes and hands, utilizing multiple arms for instruments and a high-definition camera console, according to the American Lung Association. Minimally invasive methods often offer quicker recovery times and shorter hospital stays compared to open thoracotomies.
Recovery and Postoperative Care
Following surgery, patients are transferred to a recovery area and subsequently to a hospital room once stable, according to the American Lung Association. Grogginess and pain are common, and care teams administer medications to manage discomfort. Drainage tubes placed during surgery to remove blood and fluid are typically removed after a few days.
Respiratory therapists frequently assist patients during hospitalization using medications and spirometers—devices that test breathing capability—to improve lung function. Before discharge, medical staff provide specific home-care instructions, which may include physical therapy or pulmonary rehabilitation to build lung strength and endurance, as reported by the American Lung Association.