SURGICAL INTERVENTION
What types of surgery are used for lung cancer?
The type of surgery recommended by the thoracic surgeon depends on the size and location of the tumor and the function of our lungs.
Lobectomy
Lobectomy is the removal of one of the five lobes of the lungs. When non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is detected at an early stage, lobectomy is considered the most effective surgical intervention, even when the lung tumor is very small.
However, in recent years, more and more patients are undergoing segmentectomy, meaning a smaller portion of the lung is removed. This should only be performed by a specialist thoracic surgeon who is familiar with the technique and should be based on international standards and indications for the appropriate patient.
wedge resection
In wedge resection, the surgeon removes the tumor and a small portion of healthy tissue surrounding it. Wedge resection is recommended if the patient has poor breathing reserves and/or other medical conditions that make it unsafe to remove a segment or the entire lobe. Wedge resection can also be applied to small peripheral lesions.
Segmentectomy
Segmentectomy removes one of the smaller segments within the lobes of the lung that bears cancer. The amount of lung tissue removed ranges between that removed in lobectomy and wedge resection. Segmentectomy is recommended only for treating lung nodules with a diameter equal to or less than 2 cm or if the patient has poor lung function and/or other medical conditions that make it unsafe to remove the entire lobe.
It is important to note that segmentectomy is not the same procedure as wedge resection, as it has much better long-term outcomes and protects against potential cancer recurrence.
In other words, wedge resection (a very small part of the lung) should only be performed in special cases.
Pneumonectomy
Pneumonectomy is the removal of the entire lung. This type of surgery is usually required if the tumor is very large or located near the root of the lung.
In modern thoracic surgery units and with contemporary screening programs, less than 8% of patients overall need to lose their entire lung following lung cancer surgery.
Εκτομή Δίκην Μανικίου
Αυτή η χειρουργική επέμβαση εφαρμόζεται σε όγκους που επηρεάζουν τους μεγάλους αεραγωγούς. Ο όγκος και ένα τμήμα του αεραγωγού αφαιρούνται και τα άκρα του αεραγωγού επανασυνδέονται, έτσι ώστε οι υπόλοιποι λοβοί να παραμείνουν στη θέση τους. Η εκτομή δίκην μανικίου εφαρμόζεται αντί της πνευμονεκτομής, για να διαφυλάξουμε την πνευμονική λειτουργία.
Αυτό που είναι σημαντικό να θυμόμαστε είναι ότι στη σημερινή εποχή οι εξειδικευμένοι θωρακοχειρουργοί έχουν σε αρκετές περιπτώσεις τη δυνατότητα να εκτελέσουν χειρουργικές επεμβάσεις αφαιρώντας όλο τον όγκο με υγιή όρια αλλά και προστατεύοντας ταυτόχρονα την ποιότητα ζωής του ασθενούς που είναι εξίσου σημαντκό ζητούμενο.
