What Surgical Procedures Are Frequently Used In The Treatment Of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma?
Pleurodesis is a palliative procedure that prevents the most common cause of dyspnea that is seen in pleural mesothelioma; pleural effusions. The most commonly used material is an asbestos-free talc to produce the irritative effect that causes the pleurodesis. Partial pleurectomy is another method that prevents recurrence of pleural effusion. This is a surgical procedure that resects the pleura and pericardium from the apex of the lung to the base of the lung. Thoracostomy is a palliative surgery in which the fluid in the pleural effusion is drained and dyspnea and pleuritic chest pain are relieved. Extrapleural pneumonectomy is the most radical of the procedures. It involves removal of the involved lung, the hemidiaphragm, the visceral and parietal pleura and the pericardium.
