What Is a Lobectomy (Lung Lobe Removal)?

On the morning of a lobectomy, most people aren't thinking about anatomy. They're thinking about the trolley ride to theatre, the anaesthetic, and what waking up will feel like. The operation itself, though, is built around a simple piece of anatomy: your lungs are divided into sections called lobes — three on the right, two on the left — and a lobectomy removes exactly one of them, whole, along with the airway and blood vessels that serve it. What's left behind expands to fill much of the space, and for many people it goes on doing the breathing work of the whole chest surprisingly well.

The video at the top of this page is a real example, a little over two minutes long: a left upper lobectomy, the removal of the upper lobe of the left lung. Its description tells the story behind the operation — a 49-year-old woman with a cough, a scan showing a small nodule, about 2.5 centimetres across, in that lobe, and a needle biopsy through the chest wall that identified it as an adenocarcinoma, a type of lung cancer, with further scans showing no spread to the glands in the centre of the chest. That sequence — symptom, scan, biopsy, then surgery — is the road most lobectomy patients travel, and our cancer hub gathers the related guides and videos in one place.

Before the operation: how the decision gets made

Nobody books a lobectomy on the strength of one test. Expect some combination of chest scans, a biopsy to name what the shadow on the scan actually is — sometimes taken through a camera test of the airways, the procedure our guide to bronchoscopy walks through — and breathing tests that measure how much lung you can spare. That last part matters: removing a lobe is only sensible if the lung that remains can carry you. The team is also weighing the alternatives, which range from removing a smaller wedge of lung, to treatments that don't involve surgery at all. Which road is right depends on what the growth is, exactly where it sits, and your overall fitness — a judgment your own team makes from your scans, not from a page like this one.

During the operation: open surgery or keyhole

You'll be fully asleep under a general anaesthetic, lying on your side, and a breathing tube — often a special one that lets the team rest the lung being operated on while the other keeps working — does your breathing for you. From there, lobectomy comes in two broad styles. In the traditional open operation, the surgeon works through an incision between the ribs. In the keyhole version, often called VATS, the same work is done through a few small openings with a camera and long instruments. Either way, the core steps are the same: the lobe's artery, vein and airway are carefully sealed and divided, the lobe comes out, the glands nearby are usually sampled, and a drain tube is left in the chest for a time afterwards. This page's second video, "Left Lower Lung Lobectomy", runs to about eighteen minutes and pairs the operation with the site's plain-language explanation of how the five lobes are arranged — useful if you want the slower, fuller picture.

The first days afterwards

Waking up with a chest drain is the part people remember. The tube sits between the ribs, connected to a bottle or box on the floor, and it drains fluid and any leaked air while the remaining lung settles and re-expands; it usually comes out after some days, once the drainage quietens. Pain is managed actively — you'll be offered a mix of pain relief, and the honest advice is to use it, because breathing deeply and coughing comfortably are part of the treatment, not a test of toughness. The physiotherapist will have you sitting up, then walking the corridor, sooner than you expect. Breathlessness on exertion is normal at first and, for most people, eases steadily over the following weeks. If your background includes long-standing breathing problems, our guide to COPD covers the condition many lobectomy patients are managing alongside surgery.

Recovery at home, and the longer view

Home recovery is measured in weeks rather than days: tiredness that improves in steps, a wound that needs keeping clean and dry, and a gradual rebuild of walking distance. Your team will give you their own list of what to report promptly — a fever, the wound becoming red or leaking, worsening breathlessness, or coughing up blood all belong on it — so follow that list over anything written here. Follow-up usually includes the laboratory report on the removed lobe, which confirms exactly what was taken out and whether anything further is advised. And the comparison worth keeping in mind: a lobectomy removes one lobe of five. It sits far short of the transplant operation described in our guide to lung transplant, and the lung you keep is entirely your own.

References & further reading

• MedlinePlus — Lung Cancer: https://medlineplus.gov/lungcancer.html
• NHS — Treatment for lung cancer: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/lung-cancer/treatment/
• National Cancer Institute — Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treatment: https://www.cancer.gov/types/lung/patient/non-small-cell-lung-treatment-pdq

MedicalVideos.com has published trusted medical videos since 2007. The site was founded by Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim, MD, PhD — physician-scientist.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will I be able to breathe normally with one lobe gone?

Most people breathe comfortably at rest and return to ordinary daily activity, because the remaining lobes expand and take over much of the work. Breathlessness on hills and stairs is common early on and usually keeps improving for weeks to months. How much lung function you keep depends on how well your lungs worked before surgery, which is why breathing tests are part of the workup.

Is keyhole (VATS) lobectomy better than open surgery?

Both remove the same lobe; they differ in how the surgeon gets there. Keyhole surgery uses a few small openings and often means a somewhat easier early recovery, while some situations — the position of the growth, previous surgery, findings on the day — make the open approach the safer choice. Your surgeon will recommend the route that fits your case, and a keyhole start occasionally converts to open surgery if that is safer.

How long will I be in hospital?

It varies with the approach, how the lung settles, and when the chest drain can come out. Stays of several days are typical, and the drain is often the deciding factor. Your unit will give you its own expected range.

Does everyone with a lung nodule need a lobectomy?

No. Many nodules turn out to be old scars or infections and are simply watched with repeat scans; others are treated without surgery, and some need only a smaller wedge removed. Lobectomy is one option on a list, chosen when the biopsy result, the nodule's position and your lung reserve all point that way.

This article is for general education only and is not medical advice. It does not replace consultation with a qualified clinician. Worsening breathlessness, chest pain, or coughing up blood needs prompt, urgent medical assessment.

Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim, MD, PhD

Physician-scientist · Founder, MedicalVideos.com

Dr. Ibrahim founded MedicalVideos.com in 2007 to make medical and surgical education freely accessible to students, clinicians, and patients.

Last reviewed: 11/07/26