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Upper left robotic/VAT lobectomy

Posted by jill7517 @jill7517, Feb 19 8:47pm

I am 76 years old, have a 1.6 cm nodule on my left upper lung and am scheduled for a lobectomy in 3-4 weeks. It cannot be biopsied because it is inaccessible, but my surgeon is 85% sure it is malignant.

I will have a robotic/VAT lobectomy which my surgeon says should take 1-2 hours. He does this surgery 20 times a week. He doubts that my lymph glands are involved, but will check this during the surgery.

I am pretty fit and slim, work out in a gym 2-3 times a week, but more weights than cardio. I have never smoked a single cigarette my entire life. I would love to know realistically how soon I can expect to resume a normal life. I also have rheumatoid arthritis, but am symptom-free.

My surgeon says I will only stay in hospital 1 night and will feel very tired for several weeks and experience "discomfort" but not pain. I will lose 20% lung capacity, but still be able to work out and be active. Is this over-optimistic?

My surgeon also says I will not need any home care. However, I live alone, so wonder if I should get a nurses' aide for the first 1, 2 or more days and nights, as well as for the night in hospital.

Thank you in advance for any tips, advice and shared experiences.

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jill7517 | @jill7517 | Feb 21 8:33am
In reply to @spikeb1 "I had a left upper lobectomy in November 2022 at age 72. Like you, I was..." + (show)
@spikeb1

I had a left upper lobectomy in November 2022 at age 72. Like you, I was in pretty good shape and found recovery pretty easy. I had little discomfort and was able to resume normal activities in a short time frame.

I was the primary caregiver for my mother who lived with me and a friend and fellow nurse came and stayed for 2-3 days. She helped with my Mom but I needed little to no assistance. It’s probably good to have someone with you or readily available should you need assistance.

I have not experienced any major changes in my lifestyle related to the surgery. My PFTs are not as good as the pre-op values (basically normal) but I have no significant respiratory symptoms during exercise. I now walk about an hour 3-5 days a week and do best on a flat surface mostly related to my knees. 😊 Wish you a smooth recovery!

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Very encouraging, thank you.

REPLY
whahoo | @whahoo | Feb 21 9:36am

Sorry to hear this, but on the ups side surgery is the gold standard. There’s a blood
Test that can be done now. Ask the Dr about it. That may ease your mind.

I had a right upper lobectomy in April 2023. Was in the hospital 2 nights. And had someone with me for 7 nights when I got home. I too live alone. My sister stayed with me. Please consider having someone stay with you.

Best of luck to you.

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jannam | @jannam | Feb 21 3:53pm
In reply to @jill7517 "Thank you for replying. What did you need the help for? Nursing care, dressing, bathing or..." + (show)
@jill7517

Thank you for replying. What did you need the help for? Nursing care, dressing, bathing or food prep? Day and night?

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Everything! CARE was day and night in case I needed help

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denzie | @denzie | Feb 21 9:59pm
In reply to @jill7517 "I don’t believe that my ribs will be manipulated because I am having robotic/VATS surgery. Thank..." + (show)
@jill7517

I don’t believe that my ribs will be manipulated because I am having robotic/VATS surgery. Thank you anyway.

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If you're interested, check out YouTube. There's a video of a lower left lobectomy by a surgeon at Memorial Sloan Kettering. The surgery is compressed into an 18 minute video. It illustrates where the cameras and the robotic tools are placed. ( I've not been a member here long enough mouth to post a link.)

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1 reply
Moderator
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Feb 22 7:40am
In reply to @denzie "If you're interested, check out YouTube. There's a video of a lower left lobectomy by a..." + (show)
@denzie

If you're interested, check out YouTube. There's a video of a lower left lobectomy by a surgeon at Memorial Sloan Kettering. The surgery is compressed into an 18 minute video. It illustrates where the cameras and the robotic tools are placed. ( I've not been a member here long enough mouth to post a link.)

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Hi @denzie, welcome. I noticed that you wished to post a URL to an video with your post. You will be able to add URLs to your posts in a few days. There is a brief period where new members can't post links. We do this to deter spammers and keep the community safe.

Please allow me to post it for you:

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1 reply
denzie | @denzie | Feb 23 4:09pm
In reply to @colleenyoung "Hi @denzie, welcome. I noticed that you wished to post a URL to an video with..." + (show)
@colleenyoung

Hi @denzie, welcome. I noticed that you wished to post a URL to an video with your post. You will be able to add URLs to your posts in a few days. There is a brief period where new members can't post links. We do this to deter spammers and keep the community safe.

Please allow me to post it for you:

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Thank you. I appreciate the reason for that policy. And thank you for sharing that video for the OP.

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cindyjk | @cindyjk | Feb 24 11:19am

I had my upper left lobe removed in 2017 and I think I stayed for 2 or 3 days. I to live alone and I had someone close by if I needed help. I did have pain, but it wasn't unmanageable. The worst for me was having the drainage tube removed, but it's quick and over. My biggest problem was getting out of bed. I have a waterbed and needed to get a topper so I could just roll on out. 🙂
For me though it looked like I was free of cancer, I was not and a year later was staged at lV.
Just make sure biomarker testing is done on your tumor. I happen to have a ROS1 driver and am pretty stable taking my targeted therapy drug.
Best of luck to you!
Cindy

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