Thoracic Procedures: Lung Surgery

Lung surgery is any surgical procedure that allows the surgeon to directly affect the lungs, such as removal of a section of lung because of a tumor or an  infection, biopsy of the lung to obtain a diagnosis.

While the patient is under general anesthesia, the surgeon makes an incision between the ribs to expose the lung. The chest cavity is examined and diseased lung tissue is removed.

This examination may be performed directly (thoracotomy) or with the aid of a camera (thoracoscopy).