Lung cancer It is the leading cause of cancer death in both men and women, accounting for more deaths than prostate cancer, breast cancer and colon cancer combined. Lung cancer has the initial rough classification: non-small cell lung cancer and small cell lung cancer. Smoking is the most common risk factor for lung cancer, accounting for approximately 90% of cases.

In collaboration with the Agios Loukas clinic, the thoracic surgeon Dr. Michalis Klimatsidas provides the safest, most effective surgical options for each patient.

Lung Cancer Surgery 

Lung cancer surgery involves the surgical removal of tumors. Depending on the size and location of the lung tumor, the thoracic surgeon may recommend minimally invasive surgery or traditional open surgery.

Our minimally invasive techniques include:

→ Video Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery (VATS): During the procedure, the surgeon inserts a thoracoscope (a thin tube with a small camera attached) through an opening in the chest (Uniportal VATS), along with special instruments.

→ Robotic-assisted lung surgery: During robotic-assisted lung surgery, the surgeon works at a remote console controlling the surgical instruments with expert precision to perform the surgical procedure.

Surgical options include the following options and a combination of them:

• Thoracoscopic or Robotic Lobectomy: The most common lung cancer surgery which is also the recommended operation (gold standard) by the guidelines of oncology societies worldwide as it removes the lobe of the lung affected by cancer.

• Thoracoscopic or Robotic Dilobectomy:There are cases in which, in order to achieve complete removal of the tumor, it is necessary to remove two of the three lobes of the right lung, it is a more serious operation than the removal of one lobe of the lung (lobectomy) and is performed in selected patients.

• Thoracoscopic wedge resection: It removes a small, wedge-shaped part of the lung that contains the lung cancer tumor, it is not a therapeutic operation in lung cancer but it can be used in biopsies of malignant lung tumors mainly but also in benign tumors where it can be a therapeutic option and also in metastasectomies .

• Thoracoscopic or Robotic Pneumonectomy: Removes the entire lung affected by lung cancer.

• Thoracoscopic or robotic anatomical Sleeve lobectomy/pneumonectomy/segmentectomy: Removes lung cancer tumors in the airway (bronchus, lung artery, pulmonary artery) or lung lobe.

Minimally Invasive Surgical Options for Lung Cancer 

We are constantly innovating with new surgical treatments.  Thoracic surgeon Dr. Michalis Klimatsidas discusses what surgical options are available for lung cancer patients, the recovery benefits, and the cosmetic benefits of minimally invasive surgery. It also emphasizes the feasibility and importance of a holistic approach with a comprehensive treatment plan for lung cancer, always in close collaboration with a team of specialists, in order to achieve the best possible outcome for each patient.

For more information and clarifications or to schedule an appointment, you can contact Dr. Michalis Klimatsidas by calling (+030) 6944562928 or by filling out the relevant form.