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What To Expect

1 

Wedge Resection 

  • Operation duration 15-20 minutes

  • Lung volume loss 1-2% (minimal)

  • Hospital stay 24-48 hours on average 

  • Risks include: Bleeding, infection (Less than 1%), Mortality (Less than 0.1%)

  • Pain is variable, usually minimal at single incision site 

  • Return to work 1 week on average 

2

Segmentectomy

  • Operation duration 45-60 minutes 

  • Lung volume loss 5-10%

  • Hospital stay 2-3 days on average​

  • Risks include: Bleeding, infection (1-2%), Mortality rate (0.1-0.5%)

  • Pain is variable, usually minimal at single incision site

  • Return to work 2 weeks on average

3

Lobectomy

  • Operation duration 40-50 minutes

  • Lung volume loss 15-20%

  • Hospital stay 2-3 days on average

  • Risks include: Bleeding, infection (1-2%), Mortality rate (0.1-0.5%)

  • Pain is variable, usually minimal at single incision site

  • Return to work 2 weeks on average 

  • Surveillance CT scan 6 monthly for 5 years

4

Sleeve Resection

  • Operation duration 2 hours average 

  • Lung volume loss 15-20%

  • Hospital stay 2-3 days on average 

  • Risks include Bleeding, infection (1-2%), Mortality rate (0.1-0.5%)

  • Pain is variable, usually minimal at single incision site

  • Return to work 2 weeks on average 

  • Surveillance bronchoscopy at 3-6 months 

5

Bronhoscopy

  • Operation duration 10 minutes to 2 hours variable if stenting, tumor removal required (2 hours)

  • Hospital stay 1 day

  • Risks include: Bleeding, infection 1% and mortality 0.1%

  • Return to work: few days to 1 week

6

Mediastinal

  • Operation duration 30-60 minutes

  • Hospital stay 24-38 hours on average 

  • Return to work 1 week

  • Pain variable usually minimal at the incision site

  • Risks include: Bleeding, infection (1-2%), Mortality rate (0.1-0.5%)

7

Lung volume reduction surgery 

  • Operation duration 30-60 minutes

  • Hospital stay 3-5 days (as frequently combined with pleurodesis)

  • Lung volume loss variable (30-40%) but already non-functional apical regions

  • Risks include: Bleeding, infection less than 1%, Mortality rate 1-2%

  • Pain variable usually minimal at the incision site

  • Return to work variable (depending on functioning ability pre-operatively)

8

Cardiac Devices 

  • Operation duration 20-30 minutes

  • Hospital stay 6 - 12 hours

  • Return to work: few days to 1 week

  • Risks include: Bleeding, infection less than 1%, pneumothorax below 1%, lead revision 1%, mortality below 0.1%

  • Pain variable usually minimal at the incision site

9

CABG

  • Operation duration 2-3 hours 

  • Hospital stay 5-10 days

  • Risks include: Bleeding, infection under 5% and mortality 1%, risk of stroke 1%

  • Sternal precautions 6 weeks 

  • Pain variable usually minimal at the incision site

  • Return to work variable usually 4-6 weeks 

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10

Valves (mitral, aortic, tricuspid, pulmonary)

  • Operation duration 2-3 hours 

  • Hospital stay 5-10 days

  • Risks include: Bleeding, infection under 5% and mortality 1% - 5%, risk of stroke 1%, need for pacemaker 1-5%

  • Sternal precautions 6 weeks 

  • Pain variable usually minimal at the incision site

  • Return to work variable usually 4-6 weeks 

11

Chest Wall Reconstruction

  • Operation duration 30-60 minutes

  • Hospital stay 1-2 days 

  • Risks include: Bleeding, infection below 1%, Mortality rate below 0.1%

  • Pain variable usually much improved 

  • Return to work variable 1-2 weeks average

  • Precautions include no heavy lifting for 4-6 weeks

  • Return to driving 1-2 weeks

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