The first was a right upper lobe resection (lobectomy). The patient had a cancerous mass in the upper part of their right lung, and Dr. Patel removed the lobe to be sent to pathology for staging and therapy options. When performing a lobectomy, an incision is made superficial to the affected lobe of the lung. The surgeon can access the lung through the ribs in order to remove the lobe. It is also important to remove a few enlarged lymph nodes as well, because if they contain a tumor, the cancer therapy process can be properly outlined.
The second procedure was an aortic valve replacement. This was especially exciting to observe because it was the same procedure I saw for my first time in the OR. I blogged about it in detail in my post titled "Week 1: Get Pumped." This time, I had better visualization of the aortic valve while Dr. Patel removed the diseased valve and replaced it with a tissue one. This is what the valve looks like when sewn into place:
Hey Shreya! These procedures sound really interesting to watch! I was wondering, after the lobectomy, how long would it take the patient to recover? What other steps would he need to take? Also, would having a cancerous mass and getting it removed affect how long the patient lives?
ReplyDeleteMost people will stay in the hospital for about a week after surgery, and a full recovery could take several months. A lobectomy is done in order to determine what stage of lung cancer that patient has, but if done for early stage cancer, it can offer a longer life without recurrence of the cancer.
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