Removal of part or all of a lung is sometimes the only method of treating lung diseases: lung cancer, emphysema, abscess or lung infarction. Treatment of various types of lung cancer remains a serious problem - in these cases, lung resection is the most common.

Sometimesremoval of part of the lungstops a serious disease early enough. Patients' observations show that without a lung one can function normally. When is part of the lung necessary to be removed?

Lung removal: reasons

  • a lobe of the lung is removed in people who have cancer lesions. The tumors are removed along with the lung section.
  • the reason for removing part or all of the lung is inflammation after illnesses, e.g. tuberculosis;
  • surgery may be caused by congenital changes in the lungs, e.g. emphysema;
  • In rare cases, lung surgery is necessary to treat a lung abscess or after a lung infarction.

To prevent unwanted metastases / complications, it is usually necessary to combine effective treatments. Sometimes the surgery is preceded by antibiotic therapy, chemotherapy, and after the surgery, radiotherapy (in the treatment of neoplastic changes) may be used.

READ>>What is lung resection (removal)?

Other lung diseases that could lead to surgery

  • Pulmonary infarction

The cause of a pulmonary infarction is blood clots in the veins of the lower body. Single or multiple pieces of the blood clot can travel to the lungs and block the vessels in the lungs. Blood supply to such a part of the lung becomes impossible and its necrosis occurs. A heart attack presents with sudden difficulty in breathing and can kill the person within minutes. The disease is treated pharmacologically and by administering oxygen. Surgical intervention is sometimes necessary to remove clots.

  • Lung abscess

The cause of a lung abscess may be the descent of pneumonia. In most cases, treatment with antibiotics is sufficient, but when the abscess is a thick-walled lesion and antibiotics do not penetrate well enough, surgical treatment is used.

Is it safe to remove the lung?

The surgery to remove the lung or its fragment is completesafe. The patient can live almost normally. He must avoid excessive physical exertion. With a frugal lifestyle, the lack of a lung may be practically imperceptible.

Category:

Respiratory system