Lung cancer: surgery

Understanding your treatment options for lung cancer

Icon for lung cancer surgery

Surgery

Surgery is usually offered when the cancer is in just one of your lungs and your general health is otherwise good. The aim of the surgery is nearly always cure.

There are three main types of lung cancer surgery:

  • Lobectomy – just one lobe of your lung is removed. There are three lobes in your right lung and two in your left lung. This is the most common procedure.
  • Pneumonectomy – one whole lung is removed.
  • Wedge resection or segmentectomy – a small piece of lung is removed.

For more information on different types of surgery, visit the Macmillan Charity website.

We have created this video guide to the process you can typically expect if surgery is recommended for you:

Risks to be aware of

As with all surgery lung surgery carries a risk of complications. They can include:

  • inflammation or infection of the lung (pneumonia)
  • excessive bleeding
  • a DVT (deep vein thrombosis) in your leg which can potentially travel to the lung and cause a pulmonary embolism or clot in the lung.

These can usually be treated successfully with medicine.

Further treatments and recovery after surgery

Occasionally further treatments are required after surgery for your lung cancer such as radiotherapy or chemotherapy, but we won’t know this until your surgical biopsies have returned a few weeks after your surgery. The team here in Bradford will keep you informed of these results and let you know if further treatment is required.

There is plenty of online advice available about your recovery after lung cancer surgery. One good source of advice is here on the Cancer Research UK charity website.

Contact and directions

Your lung cancer nurse specialist team can answer any questions or concerns you have and help you to make any decisions you’re unsure about. Please don’t hesitate to contact them. These are the contact details you need:

  • Email:
  • Phone:

You are usually admitted on the actual day of your surgery and are asked to attend Ward J84 at St James’ Hospital. All the information and links you need to get to the hospital can be found here on their site: https://www.leedsth.nhs.uk/patients-visitors/patient-and-visitor-information/getting-to-hospital/

People with hearing and speech difficulties

You can contact us using the Relay UK app. Textphone users will need to dial 18001 before the number to be contacted.

Accessible Information

If you need this information in another format or language, please ask a member of staff.

Smoking

Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is a smoke-free organisation. You are not permitted to smoke or use e-cigarettes in any of the hospital buildings or grounds.

Wristbands

When you are in hospital it is essential to wear a wristband at all times to make sure you are safe during your stay. The wristband will show accurate details about you on it including all the information that staff need to identify you correctly and give you the right care.

If you do not have a wristband whilst in hospital, then please ask a member of staff for one. If it comes off or is uncomfortable, ask a member of staff to replace it.