Pains 6 weeks after pleurodesis - 1271287

Hi dando,

I'm so sorry your wife is experiencing so much pain. I will ask a specialist to comment on this specifically.
I hope your wife finds the reason behind the pain and able to mitigate it.

Janine

Pleurodesis involves creating a scarring effect, fibrosis that closes off the space between the outside of the lung and the inside of the chest wall. This commonly leads to a fever and pain immediately after the procedure, and far less commonly, more prolonged pain. Her pain may well be an effect of the scarring itself, which can lead to tightening of the tissues and discomfort. However, there may also be an infection or growing cancer in the area.

An x-ray is a great technology for 1915 but not a definitive tool for 2015. It can find very obvious findings but not more subtle ones, and perhaps a chest CT scan or ultrasound, with draining of any fluid if a pocket is identified, could help better clarify what's happening. It's possible that there is an infection in that space that needs to be drained and treated with antibiotics. An ambiguous x-ray isn't necessarily the end of a workup, so whether it's the doctor who did the pleurodesis, her oncologist, or someone else, I would say that it's premature to just throw up hands and say it's impossible to determine anything further.

-Dr. West

After a short recovery from the procedure, patients should feel a big difference in their ability to breathe. More than 95 percent of patients with pleural effusion experience shortness of breath, cough, fever and pain. If her pain becomes unbearable day by day then you should concern a doctor.