A segmentectomy is the removal of lung tissue from a part of your lobe. During a segmentectomy, the surgeon removes a larger piece of lung tissue than in a wedge resection. The whole lobe of the lung is not removed.
Why do I need this surgery?
You may have an infection in your lung. Alternatively, you may need to have something removed from your lung, like a tumour. A tumour can be benign (not cancer) or malignant (cancer). If you have a tumour, your doctor will tell you what type you have. Sometimes a wedge resection is done if we cannot get a tissue diagnosis in any other way.
What happens during the surgery?
- You receive medicine, so you are asleep before the surgery starts.
- When you are sleeping, your surgeon looks down into your lungs with a special telescope. This is called a bronchoscopy.
- Your surgeon may be able to do your surgery using specialized tools and the help of a video camera. This is called video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS).
How long will I need to stay in the hospital?
How long you stay in the hospital depends on the kind of surgery and incision (cut) your surgeon makes. You may stay overnight or up to 3 days. When you can go home will depend on how you are recovering. Your health care team may tell you during their morning rounds (check-ins) that you can go home that day. Before coming to the hospital, plan to have someone pick you up when you are ready to go home after surgery.