Lung Surgery

Good lung health is necessary for survival. Sometimes, however, surgical intervention is needed to correct problems with the lungs. Lung surgery is basically a procedure that allows doctors to access the lungs for diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions. The surgeon will employ one of two methods of entry: thoracoscopy, which uses an endoscope to look at the tissues of the lungs, or thoractomy, which involves making an incision in the chest to gain access to the internal organs. Both are performed under general or local anesthesia. There are a few reasons why your physician may require you to go under the knife.

The most common reason for lung surgery is to remove an identified mass or growth. The doctor may first perform a biopsy to determine whether the mass is cancerous (malignant) or non-cancerous (benign). Depending on the diagnosis, the doctor may recommend further surgery to remove that tissue. This may involve taking a small part of the lung (wedge resection), a greater portion (segment resection), the entire lobe (lobectomy), or the entire lung (Pneumonectomy). How much of the lung is removed is dependent on the severity of the disease or the amount of damage done to the lungs.

Another reason for lung surgery is if a person has a collapsed lung. Pneumothorax or collapsed lung may occur if there is a rupture in the lung wall and air is allowed to seep into the pleural space between the lungs and the chest wall. This condition can onset in people with lung disease, people who have experienced physical trauma to the chest, as a complication of other medical treatments, or even spontaneously in people with otherwise healthy lungs. During surgery, tubes are inserted into the chest to drain the air out which allows the lung to re-inflate and damage to the lung is repaired.


As the result of disease, like pneumonia, or other medical complications fluid may collect around the lungs. This can make it difficult for a person to heal from their sickness as well as increase the risk that other infections may develop. Similar to treating a collapsed lung, tubes are placed into the pleural space except this time they are used to drain the excess fluid. Lung surgeries are generally performed by specially educated surgeons. If your doctor recommends lung surgery to treat your medical condition, take time to search for knowledgeable and experienced surgical professional to ensure a successful surgery.