Hi, new w/ question re: surgery for lung mets

taraHK said:

It's ok
Hi Viv,

I was also diagnosed with rectal cancer, have permanent colostomy. I haven't had liver met but I have had three lung mets (each time a solitary lesion, each about 2 years apart, each time amenable to surgery). The first time, I had to have a lobectomy -- and open surgery (my lesion, although tiny, was right in the middle of the lobe! So, to get clear margins, it was best to take the whole lobe). The next two times I had wedge resection, using VATS. The recovery was slower for the lobectomy than the VATS (or course) but wasnt TOO bad for any of them. They get you up and walking within 24 hours. For what it's worth, I was walking around the track (slowly! once!) the day after I came home from hospital -- and I kept walking! (Really helps with recovery). My lung capacity is over 90%, even after 3 lung surgeries. A few months ago, I did a 5-6 hour hike, 50km, very hilly terrain. I'm not trying to show off! Just want to let you know that a good recovery is certainly possible. Lung surgery SOUNDS scary. But, in the hands of a good surgeon, it's just fine. I know what you mean about all the surgery - my body is a a road map!

Wishing you all the best

Tara

Sundanceh said:

Buzzard Forgot About Me...
Hi Viv

I just had a major thoracotomy done on July 15th on my lower right lobe. They did 5 wedge resections and removed 2 ribs and scraped the chest wall cavity. This was my 2nd lung surgery for mets. The first was done by the DaVinci robot.

Unfortunately, my tumor was very large @ 6cm and positioned right next to the spine, so the tumor was not able to be fully removed, or spinal damage could have occured. They got most of it though.

As a result, I'm in for more radiation and an additional 6-months of chemo in this part of my fight.

I've had 5-major surgeries, so I understand what you mean by the cutting getting old. I've left more organs in the O/R than a butcher shop, LOL:)

My case was very major and I spent 13-days in the hospital with several chest tubes in for drainage. I've done OK, since getting out and I am healing from the surgery, but it was major trauma.

It sounds like your mets are not too large yet - this is good...better to get them while they are small....the surgery will go easier on you.

You'll probably gets a VATS surgery, so your recovery time will be quicker and better for you. Mine turned out to be a good old-fashioned rib-cutting, full blown thoracotomy. Again, for reasons of size and location.

Your oxygen saturation level (SPo2) level will be a critical one to watch and they want you to be in the 95-98% range if possible before discharging you. Definitely in the 90's. Walking will be critical to keeping your lung inflated and stretched and to help build stamina.

Speed is not the key here...steady walking increasing the mileage is the key here. The day of surgery they will have you sitting up in a chair. Painful, but necessary.

If I can be of any further help, you can call on me:)

-Craig

AnneCan said:

Vivian
I haven't had any of these surgeries, but wanted to welcome you here. You have come to a great place for answers to questions, a shoulder to lean on, funny stories etc. Take good care.

Buzzard said:

PFT Pulmonary Function Test prior to Lung Surgery
Viv,
I did the PFT last week to prepare for this weeks surgery. It is a battery of breathing exercises which show Lung Capacity, Lung Diffusion ( ability to distribute oxygen to the bloodstream) and there was one more I don't remember. It wasn't bad at all, simply breath in and out and then pant like a dog for a few minutes, then breathe normally then taking in a deep breath and blowing it out as long as possible, then drawing a deep breath back in..( that makes ya wanna feel like your gonna pass out but most don't)..and last but not least is they want you to take a deep breath in and hold it for about 10 seconds. They also gave me a atomized puff of Albuterol to try and open up my airway a little more and it helped about 6%. All in all they did each one 3 times each and rested between each about 2 minute intervals. It lasted about 30 minutes total and that was it...Totally painless, totally easy....

Here ya go.

Pulmonary Function Testing
What is the test?
How do I prepare for the test?
What happens when the test is performed?
What risks are there from the test?
Must I do anything special after the test is over?
How long is it before the result of the test is known?



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What is the test?
Your doctor can get a great deal of information about your lungs and lung function by doing a series of tests called pulmonary function testing. These tests can tell your doctor what quantity of air you breathe with each breath, how efficiently you move air in and out of your lungs, and how well your lungs are delivering oxygen to your bloodstream.





--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

How do I prepare for the test?
No preparation is necessary.





--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What happens when the test is performed?
This testing is done in a special laboratory. During the test, you are instructed to breathe in and out through a tube that is connected to various machines.

A test called spirometry measures how forcefully you are able to inhale and exhale when you are trying to take as large a breath as possible. The lab technicians encourage you to give this test your best effort, because you can make the test result abnormal just by not trying hard.

A separate test to measure your lung volume (size) is done in one of two ways. One way is to have you inhale a small carefully measured amount of a specific gas (such as helium) that is not absorbed into your bloodstream. This gas mixes with the air in your lungs before you breathe it out again. The air and helium that you breathe out is tested to see how much the helium was diluted by the air in your lungs, and a calculation can reveal how much air your lungs were holding in the first place.

The other way to measure lung volume is with a test called plethysmography. In this test, you sit inside an airtight cubicle that looks like a phone booth, and you breathe in and out through a pipe in the wall. The air pressure inside the box changes with your breathing because your chest expands and contracts while you breathe. This pressure change can be measured and used to calculate the amount of air you are breathing.

Your lungs' efficiency at delivering oxygen and other gases to your bloodstream is known as your diffusion capacity. To measure this, you breathe in a small quantity of carbon monoxide (too small a quantity to do you any harm), and the amount you breathe out is measured. Your ability to absorb carbon monoxide into the blood is representative of your ability to absorb other gases, such as oxygen.

Some patients have variations of these tests-for example, with inhaler medicines given partway through a test to see if the results improve, or with a test being done during exercise. Some patients also have their oxygen level measured in the pulmonary function lab





--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What risks are there from the test?
There are no risks.





--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Must I do anything special after the test is over?
No.





--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

How long is it before the result of the test is known?
Your doctor will receive a copy of your test results within a few days and can review them with you then.

Hope this cures your fears a little.......

impactzone said:

Hello.stage 4 here had a
Hello.stage 4 here had a liver resection 2/07 and have had 3 lung resections after that. I had a left lower lobe done in11/07 and right wedge resection done in 2/08 and a right lower lobe resection done 8/10. A lot depends on what and where they are operating on. If you have VATS it is a pretty easy surgery with 3 days in hospital and for me not too much pain. I used advil only after the third day. This last one was a full thoracotomy (all done at Stanford) and I was in the hospital 5 days. 3 bad days and then moving up more and more. I am back at work teaching in 2 weeks. After the first two surgeries (50 year old male) I was skiing and surfing still with really no lung issues. It did take for me about 1 month to get full function back without feeling breathless. Before the last sugery I had to do lung function tests and I was at 80% so you can do it.

Actually, I found my liver resection harder to me back from then that lung ones. The worst thing was that I sleep on my right side and that was where surgery was this time so I had trouble getting comfortable. Good luck and ask anything
Chip