Lung removal operation, what to expect?

Dear Ask The Doctor: I have been asking this ever since I was told about this operation I would be having, but not got an answer and it's getting close to the time I go into hospital. I need to know what to expect when I come round after I have had this sugery, as I am not even sure I should go for it. I realise my consultant has put me forward to try and extend my life, but if that means being worse off than I am now then I don't think I will bother. To cut a long story short, I am 38 years old, have had chest complaints all my life. Now I have bronchectisis and emphysema. The consultant wants me to have my right lung removed and the left one looked at. As no other treatment is working now, such as the I.V.s etc. Now the infection has spread so far that he belives this is the only option left open to me. The trouble is, my lung capacity is already really low so obviously if I have all that lung tissue removed infected or not, my capacity will be reduced even further. Plus, emphysema cannot be cured, so who is to say that a year down the road I am going to be in the same boat when the lung tissue I have left gets infected. Should I go for the surgery, or should I just leave it and enjoy the two years he says I have left.

Dear James:

Living with COPD can be difficult especially as it becomes more and more difficult to catch your breath. You may have to give up activities you previously enjoyed. And your family and friends may face significant changes and challenges in an effort to help you. You may also find yourself facing some tough questions, such as how long you have to live and what you will do if you no longer can take care of yourself. There's no cure for COPD, and you can't undo the damage to your lungs.

Certainly surgery is an option for some people with some forms of severe emphysema who aren't helped sufficiently by medications alone. According to your description, it looks like you have a severe compromise of the right lung and the only treatment left would be to remove your infected lung, this is done to avoid a generalized infection that could progress to a multiple failure of all your organs.

I can’t tell you what to do, but I would also like to suggest if you are going to proceed with this surgery, consult your physician if you are a good candidate for lung transplant. Single lung transplantation may be an option for certain people with severe emphysema who meet specific criteria. Transplantation can improve your ability to breathe and be active, but it doesn't appear to prolong life and you may have to wait for a long time to receive a donated organ. Since your other lung is also compromised, this would be in my opinion an option to think about. I wish you the best.