A pleurectomy is a surgical technique in which a part of the pleura is removed. Sometimes, it is used in the treatment of pneumothorax and mesothelioma.

Lung volume reduction surgery or LVRS may improve the quality of life for some COPD and emphysema patients. Parts of the lung which are particularly damaged by emphysema are removed, allowing the remaining, comparably good lung to expand and work more efficiently. The helpful effects are correlated with the accomplished reduction in the residual volume. Conventional LVRS includes resection of the most severely affected areas of the emphysematous, non-bullous lung. This is a surgical option which involves a mini-thoracotomy for patients who are suffering from end-stage COPD.
Possible complications of lung volume reduction surgery include prolonged air leak until all the chest tubes are removed.

Thoracic surgery may be used to diagnose or treat part of the lung which is affected by cancer, trauma or pulmonary disease. For lung cancer, surgeons can remove nodules, tumors and lymph nodes to diagnose, stage and treat the disease.
The stage, location, and cell type are essential limiting factors. In non-small cell lung cancer staging, stage IA, IB, IIA, and IIB are suitable for surgical resection.
Spirometry is the method used to measure pulmonary reserve.

A thoracotomy is used to treat lung cancers. It can be performed using one of the following procedures

•   Wedge resection is used to remove the tumor and tissue around the cancer
•   Anatomical segment resection is used to remove the tumor, the blood vessels, the lymphatic drainage and the lung segment where is tumor is situated.
•   Pneumonectomy is used to remove the whole lung with the lymph nodes.
•   Pleurectomy is a surgery that is used to remove the inner lining of the chest activity.