Pneumonectomy is surgery to remove your entire right or left lung. Most often, it treats lung cancers or cancers in the lining of your lung (mesothelioma). It can also remove a lung that’s severely damaged from noncancerous conditions or injuries. Pneumonectomy is a major surgery with a high risk of complications.
A pneumonectomy is a surgery to remove your entire lung. Surgery to remove your entire right lung is a right-sided pneumonectomy, and surgery to remove your entire left lung is a left-sided pneumonectomy. Pneumonectomy is the most extensive type of lung resection (surgery). Other types include a lobectomy or wedge resection, which only removes parts of your lung.
During a simple, or standard, pneumonectomy, a surgeon removes your entire lung and sometimes, nearby nerves and tissue. During an extrapleural pneumonectomy, a surgeon removes your:
Depending on your case, a surgeon can use a thoracotomy or video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) for a pneumonectomy. VATS is less invasive but not always an option.
Providers mostly use a pneumonectomy to treat cancer in or around your lung, but they sometimes use it for other conditions. A pneumonectomy might be an option for:
While providers remove a lung to treat other diseases, pneumonectomy is most commonly used to treat lung cancer. You might be eligible for a pneumonectomy if:
You shouldn’t have a pneumonectomy if you have:
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In the days or weeks before your surgery, your provider will perform several tests to determine how well your heart and lungs are working. These may include:
Your provider will tell you how to prepare for your pneumonectomy. Some things you may need to do include:
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The steps of a pneumonectomy might be different depending on whether your surgeon performs a thoracotomy or VATS. Generally, a provider will:
Most of the time, surgeons don’t put a drain in for fluid during a pneumonectomy.
A pneumonectomy can take several hours. How long it takes depends on many factors, including whether it’s a right-sided or left-sided pneumonectomy. Because they’re more involved, extrapleural pneumonectomies take longer. Your surgeon can let you and your loved ones know how long they expect it to take.
After a pneumonectomy, you’ll stay in the hospital for several days. During this time:
Immediately after a lung removal, air will fill the empty space. Eventually, fluid will replace the air. Over time, your heart, diaphragm, and other structures and organs shift toward the space. Your remaining lung may also expand some.
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In the case of cancer, a pneumonectomy may be a chance to remove the entire tumor and keep cancer from spreading. For other diseases or injury to your lung, removing a damaged lung can reduce your risk of fatal complications. These include empyema and bacterial or fungal infections.
All providers involved in a pneumonectomy take precautions to reduce your risks. But pneumonectomy is a major surgery with a higher risk of complications than other types of resection that only remove a part of your lung. Some complications include:
Because of anatomical differences, right-sided pneumonectomies have a higher risk for complications than left-sided.
It can take several months to fully recover from a pneumonectomy. During that time, you may:
All of these things might affect your ability to return to work or school. Some of these changes are temporary as you recover, and some may be a “new normal” that requires adjustment.
Recovering from major surgery and living with one lung are both challenging. To help you recover:
How long you can survive after a pneumonectomy depends on a number of factors, including:
Your quality of life after pneumonectomy depends largely on why you needed one (the underlying illness). Other factors can also play a role in your quality of life. For instance, people over 70 tend to have a harder time adjusting after a pneumonectomy than people under 70.
Contact your provider if you have any questions or concerns before your surgery or during recovery. Call them right away if you have these symptoms:
Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room if you have these symptoms:
It might be helpful to ask your provider:
A note from Cleveland Clinic
While many people can live with one lung for a long time, pneumonectomy is a complex surgery with a long recovery time. Surgeons only consider it if there are few or no other treatment options and they think you’re healthy enough to have a lower risk of complications.
Just as all surgeries carry risks, not having surgery has certain risks, too. Ask your healthcare provider about both. Discussing your wishes for your health and your future honestly with your provider and your loved ones can help you decide what the best option is for you.
Last reviewed on 05/20/2023.
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Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy