What is a Pleurodesis?

Pleural Effusion

The lung condition known as pleural effusion is diagnosed in one million people every year in the United States alone. This condition can have many causes, including cardiopulmonary disease, lung cancer, mesothelioma cancer, and inflammatory diseases.

Pleural effusion is a build-up of fluid in the space between the lungs and the lung lining. Normally, this space contains only around one milliliter of fluid, but in people with pleural effusion more than a full liter of fluid may be present. Symptoms manifest according to how much fluid is present.

Symptoms of pleural effusion may include the following, depending on the underlying cause of the effusion:

• Dyspnea, also known as shortness of breath, is common. It may occur only upon exertion but may progress to occurring even when at rest.
• Dry cough
• Chest wall pain
• Fever
• Unexplained weight loss

Pleurodesis Treatment

Pleurodesis is a surgical procedure which is used to treat pleural effusion. During the procedure fluid is first removed from the pleural space, and then the space is treated to reduce the rate of future fluid build-up.

When carrying out pleurodesis for the treatment of pleural effusion, the first step is removal of the fluid. This is drained from the pleural space, and a sample of the fluid may be retained for laboratory testing. The second stage of the procedure is to treat the pleural space so that further fluid build-up is prevented or reduced.

To do this, a substance similar to talc is introduced into the pleural space. This substance is sterile and does not cause infection, but instead is designed to cause inflammation. While it may seem counterproductive to treat the condition by causing inflammation, this is actually an effective method of dealing with the problem.

The effect of the inflammation is to cause the layers of the pleural lining to seal up. The process is helped along with the use of a suction device that brings the layers together so that they cane be “sealed” by the inflammation. This means there is much less space for fluid to collect in the pleural spaces, and either prevents or greatly reduces future build-up of fluid.

Once the procedure is completed patients will spend some additional time in hospital, because full drainage and sealing of the pleural layers takes place over several days. After recovery, people who undergo pleurodesis should find that breathing is easier and less painful. It should be noted, however, that pleurodesis is not a curative treatment. It is carried out to manage the symptoms of the underlying condition that causes fluid build-up but is not a cure.

References

Jeffrey Rubins, MD. Plueral Effusion

National Institute of Health MedlinePlus: Pleural Effusion