The lung functions as a respiratory organ in all vertebrate creatures. The main task of the lung is to transport oxygen from the air into the bloodstream and to expel the carbon dioxide in the blood out of the body. It also helps balance the body temperature by cooling the lung blood.
What are lung diseases?
Lung diseases are one of the most common types of diseases in the field of chest diseases. Lung diseases can be simple diseases or diseases that can have fatal consequences. The main lung diseases are:
- Lung cancer
- Tuberculosis
- Obstructive (Chronic) Lung Disease
- Asthma
- Lung fibrosis
- Lung infections
- Lung embolism
- Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD)
- Respiratory Distress Syndrome)
- Cystic fibrosis
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Surgical Diseases of the Lungs
Lung traumas such as tumors in the lung and injury may require surgical intervention. In the field of lung surgery, there have been significant developments in recent years, and new surgical methods have emerged. Thanks to new surgical methods, postoperative patient comfort and surgical success have increased even more. Lung surgeries are performed in two ways: closed method and open method. How to do the operation is decided by looking at the type of disease and the condition of the patient. In closed (endoscopic) lung surgery, surgery is carried out with the help of special surgical tools and video images from small incisions. This type of surgery is very satisfactory in terms of patient comfort and outcome. A different kind of closed lung surgery is Thoracoscopy. This surgery is used mostly in patients who have respiratory distress and are unable to handle open surgery. Closed surgeries take less time and are less likely to have complications.
In open lung surgery, a large incision is made in the chest, and the lung is completely visible. Open lung surgery is performed when a mass is detected in the lung, and how the surgery is performed depends on the location and size of the mass. If the detected mass is a tumor, it may be necessary to remove some or all of the lungs. Patient comfort is lower, and the healing process is longer in this surgery performed under general anesthesia. Various complications can be observed after open lung surgery. Some of these are infection, blood clotting in the lung, air leakage of the lung, pneumonia, embolism, respiratory failure and pulmonary edema.
