What Can I Expect Before and After Lobectomy

Hi. I am now a 70 yo male who had a left lower lobectomy and 4 ribs removed. Then it spread to my right upper lobe and a resection there aswell. Then moved onto my liver. No treatment!! Is what i was told and then one of my lung specialists using an immunotherapy drug known as.. Pembrozulimab here in the UK and Keytruda in USA. I had 2 years of injections every 6 weeks. And i worked great for me. As far as after my lobectomy it becomes hard to sleep on that side because of the surgery but because i am limited to amount of air i can take in now on that side. Breathing when walking is harder but with time and practice and breathing techniques i am still alive. Each day i open my eyes in the morning is one more day i thank the doctors and scientists and my cancer care team goes along way to a much better recovery. I found. All the best to you and your family

Hi, I’m a 74 year old female and had a lobectomy on my left upper lung and about one and a halfyears later I had a wedge removed from my right lower lobe. I was wondering if you’re having VATS surgery because it makes a big difference, the aftermath was surprisingly easier than I anticipated, minimal pain that I could manage with Tylenol extra strength, normally they discharge you by three days but I was slow to heal so they sent me home in five days with the tube still inside my chest, thirty days later it was finally removed and I was so happy. We are blessed to be living in today’s world because they’re making advancements in leaps and bounds with surgery and drugs to help us, all the best for your recovery.

Thanks frouke and daddylonglegs for your replies. I will see my surgeon on Monday, January 26 and will know more about his surgical plan.
I should add that I am a healthy 80 year old. I have kept myself in good shape for the past 35+ years by being a regular gym rat. I was diagnosed with Stage3 NSCLC in September 2025 and want to move forward with the lobectomy abd get this mass out of my body.
I appreciate any suggestions that you can share about preparation for the surgery as well as how to rrcover once I am released from the hospital and am home.
Thanks!

Part I
I had a lobectomy to my lower right lung in May 2025. Initially the surgery went extremely well. I was out of the hospital 3 days later and other than some SOB when I was exerting my self (probably more than recommend) it was like there was no surgery. I too am an active person and attribute this basically being a non event to my taking care of myself physically and mentally. I was 81 at the time of the surgery.
So I think that the outcome depends on your care for yourself and the competency of your surgeon.
Part II
I was scheduled to do 4 courses of chemo about 5 weeks after the surgery, however, I came down with
pneumonia. As it turns out it became very complicated because some where in the house of recovery and
pneumonia the bottom of my right lung that had been successfully stapled together, developed a whole that needed to be plugged.
The saga goes on - From May 13 to November 7th I had 75 days in the hospital - some of the time was unrelated
or maybe not. Considering diminished health and stress related to my lung issued who can say.
Part III
The reason I am replying is that I can't stress enough, how important it is to follow the instructions for after care. I am not very good at following instructions and I think that if I had taken it easier after surgery, things would be different. After surgery no matter what you are feeling there is a diminished capacity and a weakened immune system. So please give yourself a good long timeout from your normal pace.

@falcon3729 , Thanks for your reply! I will take to heart what you said about following the doctors orders, especially about not pushing too hard! I am one who is inclined to push hard but after lung resection, I need to "follow the doctor's orders" and learn from your ecperience!
Thank you, thank you, thnk you!

@falcon3729, BTW, how are you doing now? Have you recovered from the prolonged recovery from the lobectomy?

Hi @andycapp , You sound like you are ready move forward with healing. That's great. I'll be looking forward to hearing more after your appointment on Monday. Such as. what type of surgery will you be scheduled for? That can have an impact on recovery.

Here are a few previous discussions that may be helpful:
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/going-through-lobectomy-alone/
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/lobectomy-surgery-preparation/

Hey. I had a RLL lobectomy on Oct. 27th, 2025. I MADE myself walk and walk around in the hospital during my four day stay. I had to stay that long as they couldn't take the drain out and I was NOT going home with it. My team stresses exercise from day 1 and that and not smoking (which I never have anyway) are supposed to help this stuff not recur. It is something I can control. Recovery from home was minimal at first. When the nerves started to try to reconnect, I had to take the prescribed gabapentin. I never took any pain pill except Extra Strength Tylenol. I am still coughing some but doing so does not hurt at the incision site as much. I must say my surgery was done robotically. I am 67 years old. If I had to go through it again tomorrow to get the "stuff" out of my body, I would do so without hesitation.

@rcerwin3 Hi, I’m glad I’m not the only one coughing after lobectomy. Mine was 5 weeks ago, 12/18/2025 RATS, right lower lobectomy. 3 days in hospital post surgery. Healing good, tired, pain going away, can lay on that side, can wear a bra again. Only downside, my stage 1 tumor turned into stage 2 after they analyzed the lymph nodes. 1/7 was cancerous so now 4 months of chemo, 1 treatment per month, then KEYTRUDA for possibly 1 year.

So im sort of expert with "All Things Lung"
I had lobectomy of upper right lobe to remove cancerous nodules. Since confined to just that lobe Doc decided a minimal invasive surgery, was in order. I was petrified scared was going from under armpit to belly button. He decided on VATS to do surgery. ( if u have say ,ask for it) I don't know how extensive your cancer is, but 4 or 5 little holes, way better than opening up your whole side. But surgery was total success,, cancer gone these past 6 years. Ya couple small problems that my Doc ( who was Chief Thoracic Surgeon of Mercy Medical Center in Springfield MA) handled with only years of experience in his calling can provide. Make it short,,i ended up in an extended stay situation, because drainage was disconcerting, lol,, 7 Xtra days, and container was still being filled by drainage tube coming out rather large hole ( size of Quarter) under armpit. And to my surprise i was given a portable drainage container box with same rather large tube coming out that hole under armpit. So now im home getting better by the day, going restaurants and grocery shopping,,and visiting family,,all with Nasty box of drainage fluids slung over shoulder. Well 2 WEEKS of thinking i guess im stuck with this Death Till We Part Apparatus when I get call from Doctors nurse. Hey!! Im still seeing fluids coming out,,rather alot Pleural Effusion im done. LOL. Come find out,,NORMAL NOW COMES THE MAGIC TRICK. So u thinking, this tube no big deal,, you've heard of drainage tubes before so u think nothing of it going Doc office, talking chitchat and when he walks up gets good firm grip on tube and while STILL CHITCHAT ING,,PULLS WITH A STEADY, EVEN FORCE AND OUT COMES 8 FOOT TUBE!!! That's it. U not coming back there again!! But u have NOTHING TO FEAR IN HANDS OF EXPERIENCED Thoracic Surgeon. They have come long way in lung cancer technology. If you make 5 years Post. U kicked it's ASS I WISH YOU LUCK. RELAX EXCEPT WEN U IN OFFICE AND SOMEONE GOES FOR END OF DRAINAGE TUBE IT HAS TO BE DONE SO RELAX LOL