Lung Cancer Surgery Cost in India

Few days before performing the surgery, the doctor will ask his patient to take some tests to determine the health of his lungs, which include Blood Test, Liver, and Kidney function tests, Urine Test, ECG, and Chest X-ray. Based on the result of the tests, he might suggest the patient undergo a program to improve his breathing, which is known as Pulmonary Rehabilitation, just before the surgery. The doctor would ask the patient to do and not to do the following list of things-

• Stop taking drugs like aspirin and blood thinners for a few days before the surgery.

• The patient has to do overnight fasting but may be supplied with intravenous fluids to keep him hydrated.

• Smoking should be stopped at least a few weeks before the surgery.

• Sometimes, sedation may be given to the patient on the eve of the surgery night for a good overnight sleep.

• Once in the Operation Theatre, the patient will again be given a small amount of sedation to control his anxiety. 

• The nurses will attach a few monitors to check the patient’s Oxygen level, ECG and other vital parameters. 

• Then, the patient will be given general anesthesia through an intravenous line, which will make him completely unconscious and unaware during the surgery. Once the patient is in a deep sleep, a tube will be inserted into his mouth and windpipe to administer the anesthesia gases to overcome pain.

• Before starting with the surgery, the lung which is to be operated will be deflated and collapsed.

There are different ways in which a surgeon can do a lobectomy. The type of lobectomy to be done depends on the type, size, stage, and location of cancer and on the patient’s overall health too. The different types of lobectomy are -

• Open Surgery or Thoracotomy: In this type of surgery, the surgeon will make a long single cut along the side of the patient’s chest. The patient’s ribs will be then spread apart so that the surgeon can see and remove the tumor along with the affected lobe of the lung.

• Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery or VATS: Here, the surgeon makes two to four small cuts in the side of the patient’s chest, one cut measuring about 2 ½ inches in length and the other cuts measuring about a half-inch in length. The surgeon then inserts a tube to which a tiny video camera is attached so that he is able to see inside and guide his surgical tools. 

Robotic Surgery: In this type of surgery, the surgeon sits at a console placed next to the patient and controls the robot’s arms who performs the surgery as guided by the surgeon. In the procedure, three to four half-inch cuts are made between the ribs so that the patient has less bleeding, a lower chance of getting infected and a much faster recovery compared to other methods.

After the surgery is over, the patient will be shifted to a recovery room where, once his anesthesia wears off, the doctors will remove the tube which was placed down in his windpipe during the surgery. After removing this tube, he might catch a cough and in some cases even feel nauseous. A nurse will monitor and observe the functioning of the patient’s vital organs and for an hour or two after which, the patient will be shifted to a normal room. The patient will also be asked to stay at the hospital under observation for a few days and will be given a light diet and fluids for around 1-3 days.

To prevent chest infection and to expand the lungs, chest physiotherapy will be started. The chest tube will be removed 2-3 days after the surgery, once the air leak gets sealed and lung expansion will be demonstrated on a chest film. Pain killers will be given to control the pain, but in case of severe pain, injections may be given. The patient will be asked to start his leg movement as early as possible to prevent Deep Vein Thrombosis or DVT, which is a condition where a clot is formed in the deep veins of the legs which can travel up to the lungs and may cause some damage. Due to the availability of many state-of-the-art hospitals that provide unmatched treatment facilities and ancillary services lung cancer surgery cost in Delhi become affordable for many.

Lobectomy is a major surgery, which has some serious risks involved with it, such as -

• Infection

• Bleeding

• A collapsed lung, which prevents the lungs from filling with air when a person breathes in or injury to the bronchi or bronchopleural fistula. 

• Lung infection i.e. pneumonia is common after the surgery.

• Prolonged air or fluid leaking into the chest i.e. for more than 5 days, which is treated by continuous negative pressure suction with a water-sealed bottle

• Formation of pus in the space between the lungs and the walls of the chest

• Heart problems, such as atrial fibrillation, which means an abnormal heart rhythm or a bleed around the heart because of which the accumulated blood exerts pressure on the heart leading to a condition called cardiac tamponade

• Recurrence of cancer or tumor, which will further require another treatment.

The major changes of having any post-surgery problems after a lobectomy depends on how healthy the patient is overall and how well he responds to the surgery.

For more information on lung cancer surgery cost in Delhi, contact Credihealth Medical Experts at 8010-994-994.