Pneumonectomy for Lung Cancer

Overview
Pneumonectomy, a surgery to remove an entire lung, is used to treat advanced lung cancer. If cancer has spread through most of a lung, is present in the middle of a lung, or involves an artery or multiple veins, it may be necessary to remove the entire lung. Because the procedure generally makes breathing more difficult, it is usually performed only when other types of surgery will be ineffective.

What does it involve?
Pneumonectomy is performed under general anesthesia. A surgeon makes an incision in the side of the body with the affected lung. Two ribs are spread open, and the lung is removed. The surgeon may also take some nearby lymph node tissue to assess the spread of cancer.

Pneumonectomy surgery is an inpatient surgery. You will spend as many as 10 days in the hospital after the procedure for monitoring. It can take six months or longer to completely recover from pneumonectomy.

Side effects
Side effects of pneumonectomy include pneumonia, infection, abnormal heartbeat, blood clots or fluid in the lung, shortness of breath, kidney failure, and, rarely, death.

For more details about this treatment, visit:

Pneumonectomy — Johns Hopkins Health
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatmen...

Pneumonectomy — Mercy Health
https://www.mercy.com/health-care-services/canc...