A member asked:

Is pleural effusion recurrent? and what are the pros and cons of doing thoracentesis repeatedly?

6 doctors weighed in across 3 answers
Dr. Bahman Omrani answered

Specializes in Pain Management

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

Thank
Dr. Creighton Wright answered

Specializes in surgery

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

Thank
Dr. Michael Sanders answered

Specializes in Pulmonology

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

Thank

Related Questions

A member asked:

What should I do about pleural effusion?

8 doctors weighed in across 4 answers

A member asked:

What are the key symptoms of pleural effusion?

12 doctors weighed in across 3 answers