Malignant pleural effusion - 1258874

glo306
Posts:1

My father has a malignant pleural effusion. They tried the talc procedure Monday but it appears the tube was kinked and the knik was not discovered until yesterday afternoon. Once the kink was straightened, about 800 ml of fluid has drained since then.

They are waiting a couple of days to see if the procedure will still work and then decide what to do.

I have no faith in this team right now. I honestly don't think the procedure was done correctly and I want my father to have it done again.

Should I wait, demand that it be done, or do I ask them to do something else?

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Reply # - August 29, 2013, 12:43 PM

catdander
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Hello glo306, I'm very sorry your father is having dIifficulty with the talc procedure. I hope it will be rectified and he feels better soon. I don't know the answer to your question but know it's horribly frustrating if you don't trust the doctors. We can't tell you what you should do but one thing for sure is anything can happen and too many times it's beyond anyone's control. Making demands on people is rarely helpful. Perhaps getting a better understanding of what's happening will help you communicate with the healthcare team better. If you still feel uneasy after getting a better understanding of what's happening a second opinion is very appropriate.

I will ask a doctor to comment on your concerns.

Best wishes,
Janine
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Reply # - August 29, 2013, 09:45 PM

Dr West
Posts: 4735

I'm afraid it's not possible for those of us not directly involved to speculate about what happened. Unfortunately, pleurodesis procedures aren't always effective even with wonderful doctors, and some patients are not likely to have it be successful because of the characteristics of the cancer and fluid collection, rather than a shortcoming of the people involved.

If you don't have confidence in them, it's certainly reasonable to have him leave once he's stabilized and seek a second opinion from someone you'd be more comfortable with.

Good luck.

-Dr. West

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