Surgical Approach

Thoracotomy procedures:

A thoracotomy to treat lung cancer may be performed using one of the following procedures:

Wedge resection removes the tumor and tissue surrounding the cancer.
Anatomical segmental resection removes the tumor, the blood vessels, the lymphatic drainage and the lung segment where the tumor is located.

Lobectomy removes the entire lobe of the lung that has cancer, including the lymph nodes.
Pneumonectomy removes the whole lung with the lymph nodes.
Pleurectomy removes the inner lining of the chest cavity.

Minimally invasive procedures:

Minimally invasive thoracic surgeries that may be performed to treat cancer include:

Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS): During this operation, the surgeon inserts a long, thin tube with an attached camera through a small incision in the chest. This instrument is called a thoracoscope. Special instruments also are inserted through small incisions in the chest. The surgeon operates while watching the video from the thoracoscope on high-resolution monitors in the operating room.

Robotic thoracic surgery: Like VATS, this procedure allows the surgeon to view the surgical site via a camera inserted in the chest. The surgeon operates at a console, using controls that translate the surgeon’s hand, wrist and finger movements into movements of the instruments inserted in the chest.

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