What is Mediastinal Tumor Resection?

This is surgery to remove tumors in the area of the chest cavity that separates the lungs.

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Malignant (cancerous) tumors must be removed to prevent the spread of cancer. Without removal or treatment, the cancer could spread to other areas of the body. The cancer could also start to compress organs in the chest, such as the heart, lungs, or esophagus.

Patients who undergo this surgery often have a better prognosis than those who receive either radiation or chemotherapy .

Possible Complications

Complications are rare, but no procedure is completely free of risk. If you are planning to have mediastinal tumor resection, your doctor will review a list of possible complications, which may include:

• Damage to the areas surrounding the tumor, including the heart, lungs, and spinal cord
• Fluid collecting between the lung tissue lining and the wall of the chest cavity
• Drainage, infection, or bleeding

Call Your Doctor

After you leave the hospital, contact your doctor if any of the following occurs:

• Signs of infection, including fever and chills
• Redness, swelling, increasing pain, excessive bleeding, or any discharge from the incision site
• Pain that you cannot control with the medicines you have been given
• Cough, difficulty...