Vocabulary help: What do you call the surgery for removing a pleural effusion?

abckidsmom

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The procedure that they do when the thoracentesis didn't work because the fluid was too thick or too encapsulated?

A friend is having this tomorrow, and tonight it's driving his wife crazy that he can't remember the name of the procedure. It's supposed to be arthroscopic at least initially, but they may need to open his chest to remove the mass.

Anybody?
 
Thorascopy is what it sounds like you are describing. The other term you here used with pleural disease occasionally is pleurodesis.
 
Thorascopy is what it sounds like you are describing. The other term you here used with pleural disease occasionally is pleurodesis.

She said the word reminded her of a peeling away of something. Hard to say.
 
Pleurodesis. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleurodesis Unless you're talking about a pleural empyema (pus buildup in the pleural space) which in that case it sounds like you're likely talking about a decortication and debridement procedure.
 
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Thoracentesis
 
Thoracentesis

Nah...I doubt that's what she's talking about. If this is recurrent, then likely it's going to take more than a pleural tap to fix the issue.
 
Pleurodesis. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleurodesis Unless you're talking about a pleural empyema (pus buildup in the pleural space) which in that case it sounds like you're likely talking about a decortication and debridement procedure.


Bingo. Decortication and debridement is what he had. It was misdiagnosed pneumonia, then pleurisy, and now he's 2 months into the thing.

Hopefully he'll be better soon.
 
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