All You Need to Know About Minimally Invasive Surgery for Cancer of the Lung
Surgery is always a part of the treatment options for patients with lung cancer. It is usually administered to patients with stage 1 or 2 lung cancer. Lung cancer surgery entails removing a section of the lung, also known as lobectomy. A study found that patients who undergo lobectomy live longer compared to when they received radiation therapy or any other operation that was less extensive. The problem with lobectomy is that muscles can be affected and ribs fractured in the process because doctors have to first perform a thoracotomy in the chest to access the lungs. That is why researchers have been working tirelessly to find ways to perform minimally invasive surgeries for lung cancer where smaller incisions are used to insert instruments and video cameras. The surgeon uses the visual feedback from the camera to remove the cancerous part of the lung – also known as video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS). Here's what you should know about minimally invasive procedures: