A Patient's Guide to Lung Surgery

Surgery of the Air Passages

Bronchus / Bronchi / Bronchioles
The airways of the lungs. When a person takes in a breath of air, the air travels through the nose or mouth, into the larynx, then into the trachea, which is the main passageway into the lungs. The trachea divides into a right and left main bronchus. Each major bronchus then subdivides into smaller airway passages referred to as bronchi. As the airway passages make their way out to the lung tissue, the passages become smaller and are referred to as bronchioles. Eventually the bronchioles terminate into small collections of air sacs known as alveoli, which is where the actual exchange of CO₂ and Oxygen occur.

Bronchoplasty
A surgical procedure that repairs a defective or malignant bronchus (air passage).

Sleeve Resection (Bronchial Sleeve Resection)
The surgical treatment of a segment of a bronchus (air passage) that contains a carcinoid tumor. The cancerous segment of the bronchus is removed, and the ends of the remaining healthy segments are reconnected through sutures. The procedure is similar to removing a defective segment of a rubber tube and reconnecting the ends. This method keeps the surrounding healthy tissues and organs intact, including the lungs.