Yes : Depends on the cause. Pros: improvement of shortness of breath (dyspnea). Cons: pneumothorax is the most common clinically important complication. Infections, bleeding, puncture of liver and spleen are rare when performed by experienced hands. Discuss pleurodesis and other surgical options with your doctor. Good luck.
Answered 11/27/2017
5.2k views
Can be: Need to identify the cause. If heart failure, treat the problem. If infection, treat the problem. If cancer, treat the problem. Some need tubes, some need internal drainage, etc respective thoracentesis has some risks. Pneumothorax, infection, and may not completely drain. Can be diagnostic so it is a good help many times.
Answered 6/5/2017
5.2k views
See below: Some effusions can be recurrent. Whether you get repeated thoracenteses would depend on underlying cause and if you are symptomatic. If you are having to have frequent thoracentesis, a tunneled chest tube might be a good option to look into.
Answered 5/27/2017
680 views
2 doctors weighed in across 2 answers
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