Lung Cancer Surgery
When surgery is part of your lung cancer care plan, trust the experienced surgeons at Torrance Memorial’s Hunt Cancer Institute, an affiliate of Cedars-Sinai Cancer. We use advanced technology to make your procedure safer and less invasive, leading to a faster, easier recovery.
Staging Your Cancer
Staging is like creating a roadmap for your cancer. It helps doctors determine the extent of the disease so they can recommend the right treatment. To stage lung cancer, a surgeon may need to check whether the cancer has spread to the mediastinal lymph nodes. These are tissues in the center of your chest that drain lung fluid.
Cervical Mediastinoscopy: A Diagnostic Tool
To assess the mediastinal lymph nodes, Torrance Memorial sometimes uses a procedure called cervical mediastinoscopy. A surgeon:
- Makes a small incision just above your breastbone or in the side of your neck
- Inserts a thin tube (scope) with a light and camera to examine the lymph nodes
- Removes a small sample of any unusual tissue
- Sends the sample to a lab for a biopsy—an examination to check for cancer cells
Cervical mediastinoscopy is an outpatient procedure, which means you return home the same day.
Treating Lung Cancer
Surgical treatment for lung cancer involves resection—removal of cancerous tissue. Torrance Memorial surgeons take the least invasive approach possible, making only small incisions that affect less tissue and shorten your recovery time.
Minimally invasive options include video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) and da Vinci robotic surgery. Your surgeon will use the best type of technology for your situation.
VATS
VATS uses a thin tube (scope) with a light and camera to show the inside of your lungs during surgery. Your surgeon makes small incisions to insert the scope and other surgical tools. The scope sends images of your airways to a large monitor in the operating room, which guides the surgeon in removing cancerous tissue.
Robot-Assisted Surgery
During robot-assisted lung surgery, your surgeon controls the arms of a special machine. They bend and rotate further and move more precisely than human hands. A camera in the surgical system offers a detailed 3D view, letting your surgeon remove the cancer with great accuracy to improve your outcome.
Rehabilitation After Lung Surgery
After surgical treatment for lung cancer, pulmonary rehabilitation helps you regain your health, energy and stamina. You’ll have a team of supportive experts and friendly peers in your corner throughout this customized exercise and education program. It takes place twice a week for eight weeks in the rehabilitation suite on the third floor of the Torrance Memorial Specialty Center.
