Surgical control of pleural effusion


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Surgical control of pleural effusion

From Medicineworld.org: Surgical control of pleural effusion

Mesothelioma main

Diagnosis

Chemotherapy

Pleurodesis is the insertion of chest tube and instillation of talc powder or sclerosing chemical substances into the pleural cavity with the intention of producing adhesions between the outer surface of the lung and inner surface of the chest wall. This procedure is the most effective and least invasive of all the surgical procedures available to control pleural effusion in patients with malignant mesothelioma. This procedure produces about 90 percent success rates for control of pleural effusion. Pleurodesis may not work in patients with loculated pleural effusion (effusion confined within pockets of adhesions). If pleurodesis fails to control pleural effusion other surgical techniques like pleurectomy with or without decortication of the underlying lung may be an option in an attempt to control the pleural effusion. Extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP) is only rarely if ever used for palliation of pleural effusion.

Cancer terms:
Adjuvant: Adjuvant is a term for describing a form of treatment in which the idea is to prevent the recurrence of cancer. For example breast cancer patients who had surgery for the tumor may be offered adjuvant chemotherapy and adjuvant radiation therapy, even though there is no evidence of breast in that patient. Adjuvant therapy is aimed at decreasing the risk of cancer recurrence. See breast cancer treatment page for details on adjuvant therapy of breast cancer. See cancer terms for more cancer related terms.

Medicineworld.org: Surgical control of pleural effusion

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