Lung surgery is surgery to repair or remove lung tissue. Several common lung surgeries are:

• Lobectomy, to remove one or more lobes of a lung
• Wedge resection, to remove part of a lobe in a lung
• Pneumonectomy, to remove a lung
• Surgery to remove an infection or blood in the chest cavity
• Surgery to remove small balloon-like tissues (blebs) that cause lung collapse (pneumothorax)
• Biopsy of an unknown growth

A thoracotomy is a surgical cut that a surgeon makes to open the chest wall.

See also:

• Bronchoscopy
• Esophagectomy
• Lung biopsy
• Lung transplant

Thoracotomy; Lung tissue removal; Pneumonectomy; Lobectomy; Lung biopsy; Thoracoscopy; Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery; VATS

You will receive general anesthesia before surgery. You will be asleep and unable to feel pain. Two common ways to do surgery on your lungs are thoracotomy and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS).

Lung surgery using a thoracotomy is called open surgery. In this surgery:

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Review Date: 05/17/2010
Reviewed By: Shabir Bhimji, MD, PhD, Specializing in Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, Midland, TX. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)