Mesothelioma Pneumonectomy Procedure and Side Effects

Mesothelioma pneumonectomy is a surgical treatment procedure for individuals who have been diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma or other lung disease. When mesothelioma spreads across a large area of the lung, the cancer inhibits the patient’s ability to breathe and causes significant pain.  A mesothelioma pneumonectomy helps to relieve pain and reduce the amount of cancer in the body cavity by removing the entire affected lung and, in some cases, parts of the nearby mesothelium.  Removing as much of the cancer as possible is recommended to extend the patient’s life expectancy, which is often a short amount of time for individuals with malignant mesothelioma.

When possible, doctors employ surgical procedures to minimize the amount of mesothelioma on the lungs through resection; a procedure which removes cancerous cell masses (tumors). This type of surgery is typically followed by radiation and chemotherapy treatments in an effort to eradicate any remaining cancer cells that were not removed by surgery. It may be impossible to remove cancer from the body through a resection process in advanced cases of lung cancer because so much of the lung is affected.

In these types of cases, a mesothelioma pneumonectomy procedure may be the only way to remove a large part of the cancer and extend the patient’s life expectancy. While the complications associated with this type of invasive procedure can be devastating, the alternative is often much more grim; leaving mesothelioma patients a much shorter amount of time to live while also suffering unbearable symptoms.

Mesothelioma Pneumonectomy Procedures

Mesothelioma pneumonectomy surgery is an invasive surgical procedure which takes several hours to complete and is performed under general anesthesia. There are two types of mesothelioma pneumonectomy; simple or basic pneumonectomy and extrapleural pneumonectomy. Both of these procedures require the removal of one or several ribs to access the organ leave the patient with only one lung with which to breathe and require extensive recovery periods.

Mesothelioma pneumonectomy is a surgical procedure in which a surgeon removes the entire affected lung. This is a complex procedure that requires deflation of the lung and cauterizing. Once the procedure is complete, the patient must spend at least two days in a critical or intensive care unit at a medical facility under close observation. Many patients are transferred to general hospital recovery supervision following this critical period of time to learn recovery methods following the surgery.

Extrapleural mesothelioma pneumonectomy is a surgery in which the entire affected lung is removed, as well. In addition to the affected lung, surgeons will also remove other structures that are affected by the mesothelioma including the pericardium that surrounds the heart, the parietal pleura that lines the outer chest wall, and part of the lining on the diaphragm on the affected side of the body cavity. This extremely invasive procedure is less commonly recommended than basic mesothelioma pneumonectomy, but is sometimes necessary for the surgery to be effective.

Mesothelioma Pneumonectomy Side Effects and Complications

As with any surgery, mesothelioma pneumonectomy comes with an array of side effects on potential complications. The risk of complication increases when other health conditions are present, such as asbestosis in the other lung and if the patient is or was formerly a smoker. Other common complication risk factors include:

• Heart Disease
• Lung Disease
• Obesity
• Diabetes

Minor complications and side effects associated with a mesothelioma pneumonectomy procedure include:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Basic Infections
• Bleeding
• Bruising
• Pain
• Scarring
• Numbness at entry site

Major complications are those which are considered to be life-threatening or that need to be treated immediately to prevent further damage to the patient. The major complications associated with mesothelioma pneumonectomy include:

• Anesthesia allergy
• Disturbed heart rhythm
• Collapse of the remaining lung
• Blood clots (Thrombosis or\and embolism)
• Stroke
• Breathlessness or the requirement of breathing respirator or assistance
• Bronchopleural fistula
• Heart failure
• Serious infection in the remaining lung (such as pneumonia)
• Build up of secretion in the pleural space of the remaining lung
• Kidney failure
• Consistent and persistent pain due to rib removal

A side effect unique to this procedure is post-pneumonectomy syndrome. Following a mesothelioma pneumonectomy procedure, the organs in the body cavity may begin to shift into the space that was once occupied by the excised lung. It is a rare complication with mesothelioma pneumonectomy because it most commonly happens in younger patients and the patients of mesothelioma are often older. It is also more likely to occur when the left lung has been removed when compared to a right lung mesothelioma pneumonectomy. This complication may develop within a matter of months or over the course of years and is often ignored at first because the primary symptom of this complication is shortness of breath; a common side effect of mesothelioma pneumonectomy.

Mesothelioma Pneumonectomy and Other Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Treatments

A mesothelioma pneumonectomy is often a last resort to the treatment of pleural mesothelioma that has spread across the lung. Whenever possible, doctors recommend far less invasive procedures to remove cancer and alleviate the symptoms of lung cancer. In cases of malignant mesothelioma on the lining of the lung, it may be possible to remove only the mesothelium surrounding the lung (the pleura) or simply remove affected parts of the lung lining. The table below describes the most common surgical procedures to reduce pleural mesothelioma cancer.