Surgery Notes

This surgery is often performed to better visualize the lungs and to help in the treatment of pulmonary disorders.

If you are a mass in the lung, surgery may help determine its cause. If necessary, the mass can be eliminated. Surgery can be done to treat other problems, such as a collapsed lung or the presence of fluid around the lung.

A lung mass

If you have found a mass in the lung, a biopsy can be done, ie a sample of tissue from the lump to determine if it is an outgrowth benign (not cancerous) or malignant (cancerous).

They can also examine other areas to determine if the mass has spread. If the mass must be removed, its size, location and determine the level of spread of the lung will also need to extract. The removal (total or partial) of the lung is called lung resection

If a portion of the lung wall is too thin or has ruptured, it may allow air into the pleural cavity (the space between the lungs and chest wall). If air collects in this space, the lung may collapse.

This process is known as pneumothorax. During surgery, tubes are placed to remove air from the pleural cavity to the lung can expand again. You can also repair the lung wall during the operation, to reduce the chances of collapsing again.
Fluid around the lungs

Fluid may collect in the area around the lungs. A common cause of fluid in the lungs is a lung infection that can result in complications in certain types of surgery or an illness such as pneumonia. During surgery, tubes placed in the pleural cavity to drain fluid and help the lungs heal.

Lung Reduction Surgery

This type of surgery may be useful in treating some patients with emphysema. It removes a portion of each lung to help open the airways so that air can move more freely. As now the lungs take up less space in the chest, the diaphragm (the muscle beneath the lungs) has more room to move. This helps get more air with each breath. Lung reduction surgery may reduce the symptoms but not cure emphysema.