Surgery for lung cancer

There are three main types of operation to remove lung cancer. The type of operation you have depends on the size and position of the cancer.

This is an operation to remove one of the lobes of the lung (called a lobectomy). About a third to a half of your lung (30% to 50%) will be removed. It is the most common operation for lung cancer.

Some people may need to have the whole lung removed. The operation is called a pneumonectomy. It may be done when:

• the cancer is near where the airways enter the lung
• more than one lobe of the lung is affected.

You can still breathe normally with only one lung. If you had breathing difficulties before the operation, you may still have them afterwards.

Sometimes the surgeon removes a very small amount of a lobe of the lung. This operation is sometimes called a sublobar resection or a wedge resection. You may have this operation if:

• you have a very early stage lung cancer
• the lung is too damaged for you to safely have a lobectomy.

A segmentectomy is another type of operation that removes a slightly larger part of the lung than a wedge resection.

During surgery to remove the cancer, the surgeon also removes lymph nodes close to the cancer. These are examined under a microscope to check for cancer cells. Knowing if the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes tells your doctor.

Before your operation, you may have an appointment at a pre-operative assessment clinic. You have tests to check how well your lungs are working and tests to check your general health. These may include:

• blood and urine tests
• lung function (breathing) tests
• a chest x-ray
• a recording of your heart (ECG).

Some people have more heart tests. Your doctor will explain if you need these.

At this appointment, you can ask questions and talk about any concerns you have about the operation. The nurse may show you some simple breathing exercises to help with your recovery after surgery.

When you have the surgery, you go into hospital on the day of your operation or the day before. The nurses give you elastic stockings (TED stockings) to wear during and after surgery, to help prevent blood clots. We have more information about preparing for surgery.

If you smoke, your doctor and nurse will advise you to stop smoking a few weeks before your operation. This reduces the risk of breathing problems and other complications after surgery. It may help you recover more quickly and spend less time in hospital.

We have more information about stopping smoking.

You will usually be ready to go home 3 to 7 days after your operation.

You will have an appointment to come back to the outpatient clinic a few weeks later. At this appointment, the doctor checks to see if your wound is healing and you are recovering well. They talk to you about the results of your operation and any more treatment you might need. You can also ask any questions you have.

It may take weeks or months to recover, depending on the operation you had. Recovery takes time and it is faster for some people than others. Try to pace yourself and do not do too much too soon.

Your doctor and nurse will give you advice on what you can do to help your recovery. You need to avoid any heavy lifting, or straining your arm on the affected side. It is also important to keep doing the exercises the physiotherapist showed you. For example, they may have shown you breathing exercises to do at home.

You can slowly build up your strength and fitness with light exercise, such as short walks.

Try to:

• eat healthily
• get enough rest
• do light exercise.

Keep taking your painkillers as you were told to by the pharmacist. Contact the hospital if the pain is not controlled, or if you have any problems with your wound.

You can have sex again when you feel comfortable doing so.

Your doctor will tell you when it is safe to drive after your operation. It can take about 4 to 6 weeks for you to be fit enough. At first, you may find the seatbelt presses on your wound and makes it sore. You can buy padding for seatbelts that may help reduce this.

Some car insurance policies give specific time limits for not driving after chest surgery. Check with your insurance company.

We want everyone affected by cancer to feel our information is written for them.

We want our information to be as clear as possible. To do this, we try to:

• use plain English
• explain medical words
• use short sentences
• use illustrations to explain text
• structure the information clearly
• make sure important points are clear.

We use gender-inclusive language and talk to our readers as ‘you’ so that everyone feels included. Where clinically necessary we use the terms ‘men’ and ‘women’ or ‘male’ and ‘female’. For example, we do so when talking about parts of the body or mentioning statistics or research about who is affected.

You can read more about how we produce our information here.