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:
· Minimally invasive surgeries are meant for patients with
early-stage lung cancer. Stage 3 patients can also undergo the
minimally invasive approach.
· There is an increase in robotic surgery which is
a form of minimally invasive surgery where a surgeon uses remote robotic
equipment.
· The type of surgery is less painful, with very
few complications, especially in high-risk patients such as those with heart
disease, emphysema, and older patients. In addition, patients who go through
robotic minimally invasive procedures and VATS have reduced recovery time.
· Minimally invasive surgery will not work on
patients with comorbidities that increase the risk or those who have larger
tumors or tumors that are difficult to reach. In this case, open surgery is
used instead.
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