What is Lobectomy of Lung?
Lobectomy is a surgical procedure in which an entire lobe of the lung is removed for various reasons, such as in the presence of lung cancer and other tumors, rarely in some chronic infections (tuberculosis, bronchiectasis).
How is a lobectomy performed?
The lung has three lobes on the right side and two lobes on the left side. Depending on the patient’s diagnosis, lobectomy can be performed minimally invasively through one or several small incisions in the chest, or openly through a longer thoracotomy incision. In both approaches, the lobe and sometimes together with nearby lymph nodes may be removed to reduce the risk of possible spread of disease or cancer.
What is done before lobectomy?
Before the lobectomy operation, the surgeon will perform a history and physical examination of the patient, as well as blood and respiratory tests. Further tests may be recommended depending on age and physical condition. Patients who smoke are advised to quit smoking to minimize the risks of the surgery.
The lobectomy operation is performed under general anesthesia in experienced centers and by experienced surgeons and is usually performed with the closed method and Single Port VATS surgery method.
After surgery, the patient’s recovery process varies according to the surgeon’s preferences and the patient’s condition and usually requires hospitalization for two to four days. During the recovery period, the patient is encouraged to move around, breathe deeply and cough, and pain can usually be controlled with medication. Most patients can return to their normal daily routine within a week after surgery.
Does respiratory capacity decrease after lobectomy?
Patients undergo respiratory tests before the lobectomy procedure. The respiratory test results are used to calculate the respiratory capacity that will decrease after lobectomy. Therefore, lobectomy is not performed in patients whose respiratory capacity is determined to decrease in a way that would put their lives at risk.
Patients who undergo lobectomy can continue their lives after surgery without any problems.
What are the risks after lobectomy?
As with all surgical procedures, lobectomy may involve risks. The main risks are bleeding and infection.
To prevent infection, preventive (prophylaxis) antibiotic treatment is started during and after surgery. The risk of bleeding is minimized with Single Port VATS surgery, a closed lung surgery performed through a single incision. The very small surgical field also reduces the risk of bleeding.
Rarely, minor complications such as a leak in the lung may occur, but this will heal on its own.