Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsPurposeBenefitsRisksWhat to ExpectPrognosis
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Purpose
Benefits
Risks
What to Expect
Prognosis
Wedge resection surgery is a procedure to remove a triangular-shaped section of your lung. Your provider may recommend this surgery to treat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). You may also have a wedge resection as a biopsy to determine if you have lung cancer. Some people undergo a wedge resection if they can’t tolerate more extensive surgery for lung cancer.
Wedge resections remove less tissue than other lung cancer surgeries. Recovery takes less time compared to other surgeries. However, this procedure can only be used for small, early-stage tumors.
Verywell / Ellen Lindner
Purpose of a Wedge Resection
A wedge resection is effective for the treatment ofearly-stage lung cancer. There are two types of lung cancer: small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Your healthcare provider may recommend a wedge resection for any of the following reasons:
Small Tumor Removal
You may have wedge resection surgery if the tumor is less than 2 inches in diameter, in the outer portion of the lung, and the cancer is in an early stage (stage 0orstage 1).As mentioned above, NSCLC is typically the only type of lung cancer meeting this criteria at the time its diagnosed.
Metastatic Cancer Treatment
Cancer in the lungs can beprimary lung cancerormetastasesthat have spread from other parts of the body, such asbreast cancer,melanoma, orcolon cancerthat is metastatic to the lungs.
In these instances, the wedge resection may be performed to remove isolated metastases that spread to the lungs.
Diagnosis
Sometimes a wedge resection is done to obtain a tissue sample to diagnose a lung lesion that appears on an imaging scan. It’s usually used if a traditionallung biopsycan’t be done or a biopsy was inconclusive.
The procedure may also be done to evaluate noncancerous lung conditions such astuberculosisor aspergillosis and to removeemphysemablisters.
Your cancer specialist might consider other surgeries that remove more of the lung. These options include pneumonectomy (to remove one lung),lobectomy(to remove a part of the lung called a lobe), or segmentectomy (to remove more than a wedge but less than a lobe).
For those who are good candidates, healthcare providers recommend a wedge resection for several reasons:
Serious complications are uncommon after wedge resection. When they do occur they may include:
Your surgeon explains why a wedge resection is being recommended and how your possible outcomes compare to the other treatment options. As they explain the details of your surgery, ask any questions you have about your procedure, preparation, and recovery.
Ask your partner, a family member, or friend to go with you to the appointment. Learning you have cancer is a stressful time, which makes it hard to focus. They can remember details and ask questions you may not think about.
Before the Procedure
You’ll have a series of pre-operative evaluations to be sure you don’t have health issues that would make surgery too risky . These may include:
During the Procedure
On the day of surgery, you’ll meet with your surgeon one more time to discuss the procedure and its potential complications, and you will be asked to sign a consent form. The medical team will also evaluate you to ensure that you are well enough for surgery.
After that, you’ll be taken into the operating room and prepped. This will include administration ofgeneral anesthesia, which will allow you to sleep through the procedure and feel no pain.
A wedge resection can be done either through athoracotomy(open chest surgery) or via video-assistedthoracoscopicsurgery (VATS). VATS is a less invasive procedure than thoracotomy, but it’s not always possible to use this procedure if the tumor is in a hard-to-reach spot.
Thoracotomy
This is traditional open surgery for removing cancerous lung tissue. During a thoracotomy, your surgeon makes a long incision in the chest, and the ribs are spread apart so they can access your lungs. The tumor and the surrounding tissue are surgically removed, and the wound is closed using stitches or staples.
An open-chest procedure takes about three to six hours.
VATS
VATS takes about three hours.During the procedure, your surgeon makes three or four small cuts around the area where the wedge resection is being done. Athoracoscope, a small tube with a light and a tiny camera, is inserted into the chest.
The scope sends images to a computer screen, which the surgeon uses for guidance while removing the tumor and surrounding tissues with small instruments.
The rate of post-operative complications is much lower for VATS compared to thoracotomy. Studies estimate that between 6 and 34.2% of VATS operations result in complications, while that may be as high as 58% with open chest thoracotomy.
Internal Radiation Treatment
You may also receive internal radiation treatment (brachytherapy). During the wedge resection, your surgeon places a pellet, wire, or capsule of radioactive material in the lung. The radiation stays in place, eliminating any remaining cancer cells.
Post-Surgery
After surgery, you’ll stay in the post-operative recovery unit while you wake up from anesthesia. That may take about two hours. The length of time you stay in the hospital depends on which procedure you have and your progress during recovery.
Achest tubeis placed in your chest during the procedure, and it usually stays in place for 24 to 48 hours after your surgery. During this time, a respiratory therapist will work with you, guiding you to take deep breaths to reduce your risk of infection.
After You Leave the Hospital
When you’re discharged, your surgeon will give you specific instructions for follow-up and provide you with a prescription for medications to ease any pain you have when you return home.
Your healthcare provider may also prescribe pulmonary rehabilitation after lung cancer surgery. After a thoracotomy, you’ll need to limit your activity for one month. If you had a VATS, you may be able to return to your usual activities in two weeks.
Recovery Time After Wedge ResectionIt depends on the individual and whether you had a thoractomy or VATS. Here’s generally what you can expect:It can take up to four weeks for your wound to heal.Your chest may be swollen for about six weeks.Fatigue can linger for about two months.It can take up to a year or so for your vital capacity (VC)—the maximum amount of air you can fully inhale or exhale—to return to pre-surgical levels.
Recovery Time After Wedge Resection
It depends on the individual and whether you had a thoractomy or VATS. Here’s generally what you can expect:It can take up to four weeks for your wound to heal.Your chest may be swollen for about six weeks.Fatigue can linger for about two months.It can take up to a year or so for your vital capacity (VC)—the maximum amount of air you can fully inhale or exhale—to return to pre-surgical levels.
It depends on the individual and whether you had a thoractomy or VATS. Here’s generally what you can expect:
The prognosis (your chances of recovery) varies depending on your particular tumor, your general health, and other treatments you receive.
However, if you have wedge resection surgery it means your lung cancer was caught at an early stage and hasn’t spread. That means your prognosis is good.
The American Cancer Society reports that 63% of people treated for NSCLC survive for at least five years when the tumor is removed at an early stage. By comparison, the average five-year survival rate for all stages of NSCLC combined is 28%.
A review of 54 studies looking at close to 39,000 patients who had a wedge resection for treatment of lung cancer showed a survival rate similar to that of patients who had lobectomy.
That said, wedge resection surgery may only be comparable to more aggressive surgeries when the tumors are very small. According to research, the survival rates for patients with larger tumors were better for those who had lobectomy or segmentectomy versus a wedge resection.
Summary
Wedge resection surgery removes a small, triangular-shaped piece of the lung. You may undergo this procedure for a lung biopsy or to treat early-stage, non-small cell lung cancer.
Your surgeon may remove the cancerous tumor using video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) or thoracotomy. A thoracotomy is a traditional open surgery, while VATS is a minimally invasive procedure.
Not everyone can have VATS, but if you can, it causes less trauma, lowers your risk for complications, and speeds up your recovery.
Since wedge resections are only performed for early-stage tumors, your long-term outcome prognosis) is dramatically better than treatment for large tumors or lung cancer that has spread.
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Corewell Health.Segmental and Wedge Resection.Pei G, Zhou S, Han Y, Liu Z, Xu S.Risk factors for postoperative complications after lung resection for non-small cell lung cancer in elderly patients at a single institution in China.J Thorac Dis. 2014;6(9):1230-8. doi:10.3978%2Fj.issn.2072-1439.2014.07.23Cleveland Clinic.Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS).Cleveland Clinic.Lung Resection.Dziedzic D, Orlowski T.The Role of VATS in Lung Cancer Surgery: Current Status and Prospects for Development.Minim Invasive Surg. 2015;2015:938430. doi:10.1155%2F2015%2F938430Mori S, Shibazaki T, Noda Y, et al.Recovery of pulmonary function after lung wedge resection.Journal of Thoracic Disease. 2019;11(9). doi:10.21037%2Fjtd.2019.09.32American Cancer Society.Lung cancer survival rates.Cao C, Chandrakumar D, Gupta S, Yan TD, Tian DH.Could less be more?-A systematic review and meta-analysis of sublobar resections versus lobectomy for non-small cell lung cancer according to patient selection.Lung Cancer. 2015;89(2):121-32. doi:10.1016/j.lungcan.2015.05.010Cao J, Yuan P, Wang Y, et al.Survival Rates After Lobectomy, Segmentectomy, and Wedge Resection for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.Ann Thorac Surg. 2018;105(5):1483-1491. doi:10.1016/j.athoracsur.2018.01.032Additional ReadingAmbrogil M, Fanucchi O, Dini F, Davini F, Lucchi M, Massimetti G, Mussi A.Wedge resection and radiofrequency ablation for stage I nonsmall cell lung cancer.European Respiratory Journal. 2015. 45(4):1089-109. doi:10.1183/09031936.00188014Chambers A, Routledge T, Pilling J, Scarci M.In elderly patients with lung cancer is resection justified in terms of morbidity, mortality and residual quality of life?.Interactive Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery. 2010. 10(6):1015-21. doi:10.1510/icvts.2010.233189
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Corewell Health.Segmental and Wedge Resection.Pei G, Zhou S, Han Y, Liu Z, Xu S.Risk factors for postoperative complications after lung resection for non-small cell lung cancer in elderly patients at a single institution in China.J Thorac Dis. 2014;6(9):1230-8. doi:10.3978%2Fj.issn.2072-1439.2014.07.23Cleveland Clinic.Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS).Cleveland Clinic.Lung Resection.Dziedzic D, Orlowski T.The Role of VATS in Lung Cancer Surgery: Current Status and Prospects for Development.Minim Invasive Surg. 2015;2015:938430. doi:10.1155%2F2015%2F938430Mori S, Shibazaki T, Noda Y, et al.Recovery of pulmonary function after lung wedge resection.Journal of Thoracic Disease. 2019;11(9). doi:10.21037%2Fjtd.2019.09.32American Cancer Society.Lung cancer survival rates.Cao C, Chandrakumar D, Gupta S, Yan TD, Tian DH.Could less be more?-A systematic review and meta-analysis of sublobar resections versus lobectomy for non-small cell lung cancer according to patient selection.Lung Cancer. 2015;89(2):121-32. doi:10.1016/j.lungcan.2015.05.010Cao J, Yuan P, Wang Y, et al.Survival Rates After Lobectomy, Segmentectomy, and Wedge Resection for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.Ann Thorac Surg. 2018;105(5):1483-1491. doi:10.1016/j.athoracsur.2018.01.032Additional ReadingAmbrogil M, Fanucchi O, Dini F, Davini F, Lucchi M, Massimetti G, Mussi A.Wedge resection and radiofrequency ablation for stage I nonsmall cell lung cancer.European Respiratory Journal. 2015. 45(4):1089-109. doi:10.1183/09031936.00188014Chambers A, Routledge T, Pilling J, Scarci M.In elderly patients with lung cancer is resection justified in terms of morbidity, mortality and residual quality of life?.Interactive Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery. 2010. 10(6):1015-21. doi:10.1510/icvts.2010.233189
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Corewell Health.Segmental and Wedge Resection.Pei G, Zhou S, Han Y, Liu Z, Xu S.Risk factors for postoperative complications after lung resection for non-small cell lung cancer in elderly patients at a single institution in China.J Thorac Dis. 2014;6(9):1230-8. doi:10.3978%2Fj.issn.2072-1439.2014.07.23Cleveland Clinic.Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS).Cleveland Clinic.Lung Resection.Dziedzic D, Orlowski T.The Role of VATS in Lung Cancer Surgery: Current Status and Prospects for Development.Minim Invasive Surg. 2015;2015:938430. doi:10.1155%2F2015%2F938430Mori S, Shibazaki T, Noda Y, et al.Recovery of pulmonary function after lung wedge resection.Journal of Thoracic Disease. 2019;11(9). doi:10.21037%2Fjtd.2019.09.32American Cancer Society.Lung cancer survival rates.Cao C, Chandrakumar D, Gupta S, Yan TD, Tian DH.Could less be more?-A systematic review and meta-analysis of sublobar resections versus lobectomy for non-small cell lung cancer according to patient selection.Lung Cancer. 2015;89(2):121-32. doi:10.1016/j.lungcan.2015.05.010Cao J, Yuan P, Wang Y, et al.Survival Rates After Lobectomy, Segmentectomy, and Wedge Resection for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.Ann Thorac Surg. 2018;105(5):1483-1491. doi:10.1016/j.athoracsur.2018.01.032
Corewell Health.Segmental and Wedge Resection.
Pei G, Zhou S, Han Y, Liu Z, Xu S.Risk factors for postoperative complications after lung resection for non-small cell lung cancer in elderly patients at a single institution in China.J Thorac Dis. 2014;6(9):1230-8. doi:10.3978%2Fj.issn.2072-1439.2014.07.23
Cleveland Clinic.Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS).
Cleveland Clinic.Lung Resection.
Dziedzic D, Orlowski T.The Role of VATS in Lung Cancer Surgery: Current Status and Prospects for Development.Minim Invasive Surg. 2015;2015:938430. doi:10.1155%2F2015%2F938430
Mori S, Shibazaki T, Noda Y, et al.Recovery of pulmonary function after lung wedge resection.Journal of Thoracic Disease. 2019;11(9). doi:10.21037%2Fjtd.2019.09.32
American Cancer Society.Lung cancer survival rates.
Cao C, Chandrakumar D, Gupta S, Yan TD, Tian DH.Could less be more?-A systematic review and meta-analysis of sublobar resections versus lobectomy for non-small cell lung cancer according to patient selection.Lung Cancer. 2015;89(2):121-32. doi:10.1016/j.lungcan.2015.05.010
Cao J, Yuan P, Wang Y, et al.Survival Rates After Lobectomy, Segmentectomy, and Wedge Resection for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.Ann Thorac Surg. 2018;105(5):1483-1491. doi:10.1016/j.athoracsur.2018.01.032
Ambrogil M, Fanucchi O, Dini F, Davini F, Lucchi M, Massimetti G, Mussi A.Wedge resection and radiofrequency ablation for stage I nonsmall cell lung cancer.European Respiratory Journal. 2015. 45(4):1089-109. doi:10.1183/09031936.00188014Chambers A, Routledge T, Pilling J, Scarci M.In elderly patients with lung cancer is resection justified in terms of morbidity, mortality and residual quality of life?.Interactive Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery. 2010. 10(6):1015-21. doi:10.1510/icvts.2010.233189
Ambrogil M, Fanucchi O, Dini F, Davini F, Lucchi M, Massimetti G, Mussi A.Wedge resection and radiofrequency ablation for stage I nonsmall cell lung cancer.European Respiratory Journal. 2015. 45(4):1089-109. doi:10.1183/09031936.00188014
Chambers A, Routledge T, Pilling J, Scarci M.In elderly patients with lung cancer is resection justified in terms of morbidity, mortality and residual quality of life?.Interactive Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery. 2010. 10(6):1015-21. doi:10.1510/icvts.2010.233189
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