What type of lung surgery is aimed at removing fibrous tissue?

Decortication of the lung is the surgical procedure specifically aimed at removing fibrous tissue that may be surrounding the lungs, particularly in cases where there is a buildup of pleural thickening due to conditions such as infection, injury, or inflammatory diseases. This fibrous tissue can hinder lung expansion and function, so the removal of this material helps restore normal lung mechanics and improve breathing.

During this procedure, the surgeon typically makes an incision in the chest wall and carefully separates the fibrous layer from the lung surface. This is particularly useful in patients who have experienced a significant adhesion to the pleura (the lining surrounding the lungs) due to conditions like empyema or tuberculosis.

The other surgical options listed serve different purposes: lobectomy involves removing a lobe of the lung usually due to cancer; pneumonectomy entails the complete removal of an entire lung, often for malignancy; and thoracoplasty is a procedure to reduce the size of the thoracic cavity, often performed to treat spinal deformities or complications from tuberculosis. Each of these procedures does not specifically target fibrous tissue removal as decortication does.