Can the lung be removed?

Lung resection is possible, and it is mainly used to treat some lung diseases, such as lung laceration, or bronchopulmonary tumors and tuberculosis. Lung resection surgery should be considered according to the needs of the disease.

1. Pulmonary laceration: For severe lung lacerations that cannot be repaired, partial lobectomy or complete lung resection should be performed.

2. Bronchopulmonary Tumors There is no consensus on the extent of resection of malignant tumors. Most people believe that as long as there is no distant metastasis, resection of one or two lung lobes where the tumor is located and the lymphatic tissues at the hilum, trachea, and under the carina can achieve the same therapeutic effect as complete lung resection, while reducing surgical damage and complications and preserving more lung function after surgery. For metastatic cancer limited to one lobe, or for tumors of uncertain nature that cannot be ruled out as benign tumors or tuberculomas, lobectomy should be performed. In short, when considering the scope of resection, a comprehensive estimate should be made of the tumor type, location, metastasis, respiratory and circulatory functions, and the patient's tolerance to surgery. If the lung cancer patient already has cachexia, severe chest pain, fever; X-ray examination shows that the carina has widened, the cancer shadow is connected to the chest wall or mediastinum without a gap, or pleural effusion is seen; bronchoscopy shows that the carina has widened and fixed, and the tumor is less than 2 cm away from the carina; the lactate dehydrogenase measurement is higher than 400 units, etc., the possibility of surgical resection will be very small, or it cannot be resected. If lung cancer has distant metastasis or has invaded the phrenic nerve, recurrent laryngeal nerve and mediastinal vessels, surgery is contraindicated.

3. Pulmonary tuberculosis Surgical treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis is a component of the comprehensive treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis and is only suitable for a part of pulmonary tuberculosis patients. The appropriate time should be chosen and it must be closely coordinated with other therapies to shorten the treatment time, expand the scope of treatment and reduce the recurrence rate. When choosing a treatment method, the patient's general condition, lesion type, disease course and response to previous treatment must be fully considered, and a careful decision must be made based on the frontal and lateral X-ray films taken within the last 3 weeks. Generally speaking, patients with pulmonary tuberculosis should first undergo drug treatment for a certain period of time. If the lesions cannot be cured and are suitable for surgical operation, surgery should be performed promptly. Do not wait until all anti-tuberculosis drugs have failed before undergoing surgery, so as not to miss the opportunity. In addition, when considering the surgical method, it is necessary to estimate the surgical effect, patient burden, degree of lung function loss and possibility of recurrence of lesions in the remaining lung, and adopt the safest, simplest and most effective surgery. Although the risks and complications of lung resection have been greatly reduced at present, those who are not suitable for lung resection should not be forced to do so and can still undergo collapse surgery.