Usually, one lung can provide enough oxygen and remove enough carbon dioxide, unless the other lung is damaged.
During a pneumonectomy, the surgeon makes a cut (incision) on the side of the body. The surgeon cuts some muscle and spreads the ribs apart. He or she surgically removes the affected lung.
Bullae are large air pockets that form inside the lung due to certain medical conditions, such as emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Doctors may recommend a bullectomy, which is the surgical removal of the bullae if they cause breathing problems or other health complications.
A lobectomy is a surgical procedure where an entire lobe of your lung is removed for a variety of reasons that may include a lung cancer diagnosis, infection, COPD or benign tumours. There are three lobes of your right lung and two lobes of your left lung. The procedure includes either a few small incisions (minimally invasive) or one longer incision (thoracotomy) on the side of your chest based on your particular diagnosis. With either approach, along with a lobe, nearby lymph nodes are also removed because of the possible spread of disease or cancer.