Thoracic surgery focuses on diseases of the thorax (chest), including lung disease and other conditions.
Lobes are sections of the lungs. The right lung has three lobes and the left lung has two lobes.
Stands for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, the most common type of lung cancer.
A surgical opening of the chest, performed to evaluate and treat pulmonary issues. This procedure is done when noninvasive procedures are inconclusive.
A sudden infection of localized areas of the lungs. Pneumonia often accompanies bronchitis.
A lobectomy is the surgical removal of one entire lobe (section) of a lung. The procedure may be performed when an abnormality has beeen detected in a specific part of the lung. The affected lobe is removed, and the healthy tissue remains. A lobectomy is preformed in early stage NSCLC patients (where cancer has not spread). A lobectomy is normally performed during a thoractomy.
A lobectomy is an inpatient procedure and requires general anesthesia. During the procedure, an incision is made in the chest and the ribs spread apart to allow adequate viewing of the lung. Blood vessels and air tubes that supply the lobe being removed will be tied off with sutures. The lobe is removed and possibly a portion of a rib as well. The surgeon places a drainage tube or tubes in the chest to drain fluid that may build up in the chest. You may be given an epidural catheter in order to administer pain medication.
You will normally spend the first day after surgery in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit), followed by a hospital stay of up to a week or more. You may need to receive oxygen in the hospital, and possibly after being discharged. The drainage tube will be removed after a few days or until fluid is no longer present. You will work with a respiratory therapist while in the hospital to aid in recovery, and will be given deep-breathing exercises and coughing techniques to help facilitate lung re-expansion and prevent pneumonia.