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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Operation For Lungs, Mobile Drainage, Pleural Effusion. Is It Dangerous?

Hi. I m very concerned about my grandpa. He had an operation 5 days ago (the docs put talc between the lungs and the pleura because of pleural effusion ). He s home now and has a mobile drainage which i m worried about. The haemoragical liquid which has to be in the bag of the drainage stays whole day in the hose. Why so? The drainage was put by the med. sisters today at the hospital and it imitates the vacuum drainage which he had there. Please, tell me what s wrong and how can I make that liquid go to the bag? I m very concerned!
posted on Sat, 24 Mar 2012
Twitter Mon, 28 May 2012 Answered on
Twitter Tue, 29 May 2012 Last reviewed on
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Pulmonologist,  's  Response
Your grandpa is suffering from recurrent pleural effusion for which ther are many cause and i am sure doctors must have told you the cause in his case. A pleurodesis has been done in his case to obliterate the pleural cavity so that fluid does nost accumulate. If no more fluid is coming in the bag it is quite possible that the procedure has been successful and no more fluid is forming and what ever fluid was in the tube has solidified because it is very high in protein content. But there are also chances that the tube is blocked or it is not in the pleural cavity. Does the fluid column in the tube move when he breathes? You need to go back to your doctors and they will do the needful.
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Operation For Lungs, Mobile Drainage, Pleural Effusion. Is It Dangerous?

Your grandpa is suffering from recurrent pleural effusion for which ther are many cause and i am sure doctors must have told you the cause in his case. A pleurodesis has been done in his case to obliterate the pleural cavity so that fluid does nost accumulate. If no more fluid is coming in the bag it is quite possible that the procedure has been successful and no more fluid is forming and what ever fluid was in the tube has solidified because it is very high in protein content. But there are also chances that the tube is blocked or it is not in the pleural cavity. Does the fluid column in the tube move when he breathes? You need to go back to your doctors and they will do the needful.