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Having part of a lung removed means you have had a lung resection, also called a pulmonary resection. A surgeon removes diseased, damaged or abnormal tissue while preserving as much functioning lung as is safely possible. The amount can range from a small wedge to one or more anatomical segments or an entire lobe. Removing a whole lung is a different operation, called a pneumonectomy.
The effect on breathing and recovery depends on how much tissue was removed, your preoperative lung and heart function, the surgical approach and any complications. Many people retain useful breathing capacity after a resection, and some can live with one lung, but your own pulmonary-function results and surgical plan are more informative than the procedure name alone.
What the operation is called
Lung resection is an umbrella term. The name tells you how much lung, and sometimes how much airway, was removed.
| Procedure | What is removed | What remains |
|---|---|---|
| Wedge resection | A small, wedge-shaped portion of a lobe, usually containing the lesion and a margin of healthy tissue | The rest of the lobe and the other lobes |
| Segmentectomy | One or more anatomical segments within a lobe | The remaining segments of that lobe and the other lobes |
| Lobectomy | An entire lobe | The other lobes; the right lung normally has three and the left lung two |
| Bilobectomy | Two lobes of the right lung | One right-lung lobe and the left lung |
| Sleeve resection | A diseased section of a major airway together with the involved lung tissue | The airway is rejoined so other lung tissue can be preserved |
| Pneumonectomy | The entire right or left lung | The opposite lung |
A wedge resection is therefore not the same as a lobectomy: a wedge removes a small part of a lobe, while a lobectomy removes that whole lobe. A bilobectomy and pneumonectomy remove more tissue than either procedure. A sleeve resection is defined by airway reconstruction as well as lung removal and may avoid taking out an entire lung in selected cases.
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Why doctors remove lung tissue
The most common reason is lung cancer, including some early-stage non-small-cell lung cancers. Resection can also treat a cancer that has spread to the lung, a benign nodule or tumor, bronchiectasis, emphysema, a lung abscess, a serious infection, inflammatory disease or traumatic damage. In some cases, removing a sample is needed to diagnose cancer, tuberculosis, infection, pulmonary fibrosis or another lung disorder.
For cancer, surgeons match the operation to the tumor’s size, position and spread, as well as the person’s remaining lung reserve. When lung function is adequate, a lobectomy may be favored over a smaller resection because removing the entire involved lobe can provide a better chance of cure for selected cancers. If a tumor lies next to a major airway, a sleeve resection can remove the tumor and reconnect the airway instead of sacrificing the whole lung. The final choice also depends on lymph-node findings, other illnesses and whether the operation can remove all visible disease with an adequate margin.
How much lung is removed in a lobectomy?
A lobectomy removes one complete lobe, not a fixed percentage of total lung volume. The right lung has three lobes, and the left lung has two, so the physical amount differs between sides and between individuals. A right upper-lobectomy, for example, removes one of three right-lung lobes; a left lower-lobectomy removes one of two left-lung lobes. The remaining lobes expand and continue working, but the functional change cannot be predicted from the lobe count alone.
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What changes in breathing after a resection?
The remaining lung tissue continues exchanging oxygen, so removing part of a lung does not mean losing the ability to breathe. The NHS explains that breathing normally with one lung is possible in appropriate circumstances, although breathlessness that existed before surgery may persist. Shortness of breath is also common during the early recovery period even when the long-term result is satisfactory.
Expected breathing capacity varies with the amount removed, pre-existing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or other lung disease, heart health, fitness, smoking history and complications. Before surgery, the clinical team may perform pulmonary-function testing and other assessments to estimate whether the planned resection is safe. Those measurements, rather than the label “wedge,” “segment” or “lobe” by itself, guide an individualized risk discussion.
How lung-resection surgery is performed
Open thoracotomy
In an open operation, the surgeon reaches the lung through a thoracotomy, an incision between the ribs. This approach may be needed when the anatomy is complex, the tumor is extensive, there have been previous operations or the surgeon cannot safely complete the procedure through smaller incisions.
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Minimally invasive surgery
Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) and robotic techniques use small incisions and a camera. When technically suitable, minimally invasive surgery generally causes less pain and blood loss and allows a shorter recovery than open surgery. Tumor location, anatomy, prior procedures and the surgeon’s judgment determine whether it is appropriate; a planned minimally invasive operation can be changed to an open procedure if safety requires it.
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During cancer surgery, nearby lymph nodes may be removed as well. A pathology team examines them to determine whether cancer has spread and whether additional treatment should be considered. This staging information is part of the purpose of the operation, not an indication that the entire lung has been removed.
How surgeons compare the available operations
When more than one resection could treat a lesion, the decision balances several goals rather than simply choosing the smallest operation.
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- Lung preservation: a wedge or segmentectomy generally leaves more tissue than a lobectomy, while a pneumonectomy removes the most.
- Cancer control: the operation must remove the disease with an adequate margin and, when relevant, provide lymph-node assessment. A smaller operation is not automatically safer or more effective if it cannot meet those goals.
- Baseline reserve: pulmonary-function results, heart health and other medical conditions determine what your body can tolerate.
- Recovery burden: minimally invasive surgery often reduces pain and recovery time when it is technically feasible.
- Long-term function: expected breathlessness and exercise capacity depend on preoperative function and postoperative complications, not only on the procedure’s name.
What recovery usually involves
Recovery commonly takes weeks to months. A small, minimally invasive wedge resection may allow a shorter hospital stay than an open lobectomy or pneumonectomy, but no universal schedule applies. The extent of resection, surgical approach, baseline health and other medical conditions all change the timeline.
Early symptoms and care
Chest pain, fatigue, cough and shortness of breath are common soon after surgery. Your team may teach coughing and deep-breathing exercises to keep the lungs clear, and temporary supplemental oxygen may be needed. Walking, lifting, wound care and medicines should follow the surgeon’s instructions because restrictions differ by operation and by the condition of the incision and chest wall.
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Returning to activity
Increase activity according to the plan from your surgical and respiratory teams rather than a generic internet timetable. If oxygen, structured exercise or pulmonary rehabilitation is recommended, the choice and intensity should be based on your operation, oxygen levels, symptoms and medical history. Breathing devices and support products are not universally necessary after every resection.
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Risks and warning signs
All lung resections are major operations. Possible complications include bleeding, infection, an air leak, pneumonia, blood clots, abnormal heart rhythms, respiratory failure, persistent pain and a need for supplemental oxygen. Risk generally rises as more lung is removed and when preoperative heart or lung function is poor.
Cleveland Clinic’s medically reviewed lung-resection page, updated January 15, 2025, reports that studies suggest mortality of about 5% for pneumonectomy for lung cancer and less than 1% for wedge resection. These figures describe deaths during or soon after surgery in the studies cited on that page; they are not a personal prediction, and risk varies substantially with the patient, the indication and the treating center.
Seek urgent medical advice for worsening breathlessness, new or severe chest pain, blue lips, coughing a significant amount of blood, fever or a rapidly worsening wound. Your treating team should give you the specific emergency number and thresholds to use after discharge, because there is no single symptom cutoff that fits every patient.
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Can you live normally with part of a lung removed?
Many people resume ordinary daily activities after healing, but “normally” depends on the lung function you had before surgery, how much was removed, your fitness and whether complications occurred. Someone with healthy lungs who has a small resection may notice little long-term change, while a person with COPD or a larger resection may have lasting exercise limitation or breathlessness. The NHS notes that even with one lung, normal breathing is possible in appropriate circumstances; it does not guarantee that every person will have normal exercise capacity.
Follow-up appointments allow clinicians to review pathology, monitor symptoms and decide whether cancer treatment or respiratory support is needed. Report persistent or worsening limitation rather than assuming it is an unavoidable consequence of surgery, because infection, an air leak, heart rhythm problems or other treatable complications can also cause breathlessness.
Quick Recap
Questions to ask before discharge or follow-up
- Exactly which procedure was performed, and which lobe or segment was removed?
- Were lymph nodes sampled, and when will the pathology results be available?
- What did the preoperative and postoperative lung-function assessments show?
- What walking, lifting, wound-care and medication instructions apply to this operation?
- Should oxygen, breathing exercises or pulmonary rehabilitation be used, and for how long?
- Which symptoms require an urgent call, and which number should be used outside office hours?
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