British Shanghai resident returns for follow-up after ablation of six lung nodules
Shanghai East Hospital reported complete ablation of the treated left-lung lesions, while treatment of the other lung remained planned.
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Andrew Car, a 57-year-old British car body designer who had lived in Shanghai for eleven years, attended his first follow-up after lung nodule ablation on April 28, 2025. Shanghai East Hospital reported good recovery after the March procedure.
More than ten nodules in both lungs
The nodules were discovered during a routine check-up about six months earlier. Doctors recommended prompt treatment in view of his family history of lung cancer. Car said he chose to remain in Shanghai for care.
Li Qiang, director of respiratory and critical care medicine, explained that there were more than ten nodules across both lungs. The team selected pleuroscopy-assisted early lung cancer ablation, known as PAELCA, and adapted the procedure to his case.
Four-hour treatment of the left lung
On March 21, Li's team ablated six nodules in the left lung over four hours. Under general anaesthesia, they used a five-millimetre incision between the ribs and a double-lumen endotracheal tube to keep the target lung still for precise treatment.
Closed chest drainage was placed before ablation so that pneumothorax or bleeding could be addressed promptly if needed. These arrangements were part of the team's procedural safety plan.
Follow-up findings and the next lung
At the April 28 visit, Li said CT images showed all six treated lesions had been completely ablated. Some nodules had changed into solid necrotic tissue.
A similar procedure for the other lung was scheduled for several months later. Thus, the completed left-lung treatment and the planned treatment of the opposite lung were separate stages.
Car reported that his diet and daily activities were back to normal and that he had resumed work five days after ablation.
English explanation before treatment
Car said Li had explained the procedure carefully and communicated well in English. He described this first discussion as helping him feel confident about proceeding. His positive account at follow-up reflected his recovery after the first treatment stage.