why would an oncologist halt lung surgery & send the patient home? is it near the end?

Answer 1

Yes. In certain acute cases the surgery may be stopped by the Surgical Oncologist. If the tumor is not operable the surgery may be abandoned. I have seen surgeries abandoned even after opening the part for various conditions.
So on assessment of the position and condition the surgery may be halted and there is nothing new.

If investigations confirm lung cancer, CT scan and often positron emission tomography (PET) are used to determine whether the disease is localised and amenable to surgery or whether it has spread to the point where it cannot be cured surgically.

Blood tests and spirometry (lung function testing) are also necessary to assess whether the patient is well enough to be operated on. If spirometry reveals a very poor respiratory reserve, as may occur in chronic smokers, surgery may be contraindicated.

Surgery itself has an overall operative death rate of about 4.4%, depending on the patient's lung function and other risk factors. Surgery is usually only an option in non-small cell lung cancer limited to one lung, up to stage IIIA. This is assessed with medical imaging (computed tomography, positron emission tomography). A sufficient pre-operative respiratory reserve must be present to allow adequate lung function after the tissue is removed.-

Answer 2

If a doctor dies in sugery, then a few things will happen right away. Firstly, the surgery would most likely be stopped and a first assistant or another surgeon would stabilize and start to close the patient unless it was very certain that another surgeon was available and it was essential that the surgery be completed. Secondly, if they were available, one or two of the nurses attending would tend to the doctor immediately, but in any event a code would be called in the hospital for additional help. That will arrive within a minute or two, which should be plenty of time. The new team would tend to the doctor.

Answer 3

Sounds like the scans showed the cancer to be inoperable. The end may not be near, but I would guess it is inevitable. If the surgery was only postponed and not cancelled completely the surgeaon should have explained, in fact he should have given you a reason whatever it was.

Answer 4

Did the Dr. not say? It may not be near the end, Maybe because there is to much risk, maybe a fever developed, maybe the patient wasn't strong enough. I said a prayer for this person. NEVER GIVE UP HOPE! Hope everything works out as God has planned for them.

Answer 5

There could be several reasons. Most likely is that the tumor has become involved in some vital structures or is very wide spread throughout the lung. The prospects don't sound good.

Answer 6

Surgery could be halted for mutiple reasons most likely a low cell count indicating an infection.

Answer 7

Surgery is an treatment option when a cancer is still restricted to a small part of the body (stage 1 disease for example). In these cases, surgery can remove the cancer.

When a cancer has spread to other parts of the body (late stage disease), surgery is no longer an option.

Answer 8

the cancer is problem to far gone for them to put the patient through the torture of surgery if it is not going to help them.
Quality vs. Quanity. Enjoy this time with the person and don't focus on the illness. make this time the most enjoyable and memorable

Answer 9

They would not advise lung surgery if the risks would outweigh the benefits. If its a metastasized tumor, or one that has spread, surgery does not significantly increase the survival rate. Chemotherapy and palliative care is usually proposed to terminal patients.

Answer 10

That person is being called home by Our Heavenly Father. They will need the support of the family and friends.