What is lung segmental resection versus lung wedge resection?

Lung segmental resection is the removal of certain segments of the lung that have lesions, leaving the rest of the normal lung tissue in that lobe. Lung wedge resection is the removal of part of the lung in the shape of a wedge. 1. Lung segmental resection: It is an anatomical procedure that is difficult and requires precise isolation of the surrounding blood vessels and airways. The advantage of segmental resection is that it can completely remove some lesions that are in non-dominant parts of the lung, and the resected lung tissue is smaller, which has less impact on lung capacity. 2. Lung wedge resection: it is a kind of non-anatomic resection surgery, which is less difficult. Lung wedge resection is usually used for small lesions close to the edge of the lungs, i.e., lesions located in the dominant part of the lungs (within 2-3 cm of the pleura), and it can be used in the treatment of early stage lung cancer. The type of surgery to be performed for a lung lesion should be decided by a specialized physician based on the lesion.