General Information

A short description of lungs

The lungs play a vital role in the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide within the body. They are divided into lobes, which are functional units that facilitate the intake of oxygen.
The right lung has three lobes, while the left lung has two. Various conditions can cause specific lobes to stop functioning properly.
In such cases, the damaged portion of the lung may be removed, allowing the remaining healthy tissue to continue working normally. This procedure is known as a lobectomy.

A cut is made in the front of the chest and the surgeon gets access to the chest bone. During the surgery you will be asleep.
A tube in your throat will manage your breathing and you will not feel any pain. In some cases, they will place a small camera called a thoracoscope through which the surgeon can see a magnified image of the lung. This is known as a video assisted thoracic surgery.
There are two types: minimally invasive and thoracotomy. In a minimally invasive surgery, a few small cuts are made whereas in a thoracotomy one long cut is made.
There are newer technologies that allow surgeons to perform robotic assisted surgery where the robots act as a helper and an aid.