Self Care after Lung Cancer Surgery for Swift Recovery

 

This type of cancer accounts for up to 25% of all lung cancers. It is found more frequently near the bronchi than the lobes of the lungs. This type of cancer spreads quickly and chemotherapy is the primary treatment option.

 

This type of cancer accounts for up to 75-90% of all lung cancer cases. It spreads more slowly and has a greater chance of being detected in its early stages than small-cell lung cancer. Its treatment depends on the stage of the disease, but mainly it involves surgery to remove cancerous masses, and in some cases chemotherapy might be chosen alongside radiotherapy.

 

After taking an x-ray of the lungs, the doctor will identify the stage of the disease by using computer x-ray, which provides a clear view of the cancerous masses, along with their boundaries and sizes. It makes it possible to identify the lobe in which the cancer has occurred. It can also examine the lymph nodes of the bronchi and whether or not they are enlarged near the trachea. If they have a diameter that is greater than 1 centimeter, then they will be considered abnormal with a risk of spread of cancer cells. However, even without lymph node enlargement, the risk of cancer cell is as high as 17%. In addition, the technique allows us to see whether cancer has spread to the liver and adrenal glands and whether or not there are fluids accumulating in the lungs. If there is liquid in the lungs, this means the cancer has spread to the pleura, causing pleural effusion. If that occurs, the cancer will be classified as being in Stage 4, and it might be necessary to confirm it by extracting the fluid to test for cancer cells or to observe under a microscope to see whether or not cancer has spread to the pleura. 

 

Lung cancer treatment might require removal of the cancerous lobe along with removal of the lymph nodes at the bronchi and adjacent to the trachea. For patients with abnormal pulmonary function, e.g., emphysema, only a small portion of the lungs might be removable, and not removing of an entire lobe creates risk of cancer becoming severe again. However, treatment offers the benefit of causing less loss of breathing performance. 

 

In judging whether a patient can withstand lung surgery, the doctor has to rely on an interview of the patient’s history to determine how much the patient can exert himself or herself.  Patient who becomes easily fatigued even while performing minor exercises need to be checked for lung capacity before surgery and be calculated for post-surgery lung performance in order to ensure that it is sufficient without risk of respiratory failure after surgery.

 

Even though the likely of finding the aforementioned patient cases is low, it is still possible for patients to have genuinely low lung performance who become exhausted walking only a few steps or who cannot even walk up a single step of stairs. On the other hand, smoking patients will benefit from discontinuing their smoking a few days before surgery, since it reduces risk of post-surgery respiratory complications.

 

Meanwhile, post-surgery physical therapy is extremely important, because it allows patients to more effectively expel mucus in addition to preventing lung collapse due to respiratory tract obstruction. In addition, having the patient walk soon after surgery can reduce risk of lung infection after surgery. As such, physical therapy must be administered even before surgery, by which a physical therapist will give instructions to the patient before surgery.

 

The lungs are very flexible organs. Even after the surgical removal of a lobe, the remaining lobes on the same side can expand to fill the pulmonary cavity, and exercise after surgery can promote effective lung performance recovery. By about 6 months after surgery, lung performance might recover to nearly matching that before surgery. Therefore, the exercise attempts of the patient is vital to recovery after lung surgery. This is why doctors try to have patients quickly get up and walk in addition to taking deep breaths and expelling mucus, since patients who lie still and do not cough due to fear of wound pain can easily experience collapsed lungs and infection.