Common Procedures

Your physician may tell you he or she needs to perform one or more procedures to help your condition.

Learn more about common procedures below.

Wedge Resection

Surgical removal of small portion of a lobe. Often used to diagnose a small peripheral lesion of uncertain etiology along with a small margin of surrounding normal tissue.
Segmentectomy

Surgical removal of an anatomic portion of a lobe.
Lobectomy

Surgical removal of one of the body’s five lobes.
Pneumonectomy

Surgical removal of the entire lung. Surgeons will perform a pneumonectomy only when absolutely necessary.
Sleeve Resection

Some thoracic surgeons are capable of performing a more complex procedure called a sleeve resection, in which the cancer in the main bronchus is removed and the ends of the airway are reconnected to keep the healthy part of the lung.

“Sleeve” surgery is more difficult than removing the entire lung, but it saves more healthy tissue so the lung can function better.
Bronchoscopy

The use of a lighted, small, flexible tube to visualize the inner air passages in search of abnormalities or to perform certain procedures.
Mediastinoscopy

A short neck incision to allow the surgeon access to the mediastinum by use of a scope behind the breast bone.
Thymectomy

The surgical removal of the thymus gland. It may be performed for on a growth or to treat myasthenia gravis.
Decortication

The surgical removal of the surface layer, membrane, or fibrous cover of the lung when it is restricting lung expansion.