How To Treat Pleural Effusion

Pleurodesis

Pleurodesis involves using medicine to essentially seal the pleural cavity so fluid does not have any space to accumulate. The medicines used for this procedure create a sticky surface on the outside of the lung so it adheres to the chest wall. Before the procedure, patients are typically given medications to relax them and control their pain. A tube is inserted into the chest so the doctor has direct access to the pleural space. The medicine that will seal the space is then injected into the tube. Since the medicine needs to coat the chest cavity, patients are usually asked to move every ten minutes, on average, during this procedure. Doctors usually use a small camera with this procedure to make sure everything is going into the right place.

Get to know what treatment is generally reserved for complicated cases of pleural effusion next.