Ah, the old Pleural Effusion...

[Mellyouttaphase]

So my teeny pleural effusion has somehow grown into a very large pleural effusion and I have to have it drained. I know this is a fairly common thing (unfortunately) and it gets mentioned all the time but I want to know what I am in for. I was told on the ward that it hurts like the proverbial but others have tried to tell me that this exaggerated. Give it to me straight guys! What can I expect?

 

[Agian]

It is indeed very common. I had one myself, but didn't need it drained. Having said that, I developed a pneumonia post-op. They tell you the way to minimise this sort of stuff is to walk, take deep breaths and keep your lungs busy.

Not much help, I'm afraid, but I'm guessing it's a simple procedure that might be a bit uncomfortable.

PS I got a little pulse oxymeter you stick on your finger, cheap as. It tells you what your oxygen sats are. The game is to keep them as close to 100% as possible. For me, it acted as a motivator to blow into that cup thingy they gave me.

 

[gregjohnsondsm]

Hello, I had to have it drained a few weeks out of surgery. The Dr that did it came into my room, and opened the bag of equipment. Gave me a local and then I felt a small pressure. I could feel the needle inside and it was uncomfortable but not painful. They drained a whole bag (1 liter or so) and I felt better almost immediately. My wife was fascinated watching the fluid fill the bag. I preferred not to watch and just stared off out the window. Didn't take very long, but they did say that they were out of the vacuum bags and had to use the old hand pump (giant syringe) to get the fluid out. On hindsight I would have gone somewhere else that had the vacuum bags. As I could feel the needle moving around when they were moving the syringe around sucking out the liquid.

 

[honeybunny]

I have a post on this topic that you can search for (I'm on my iPad and can't paste a link). I had fluid drained twice; the first time as an outpatient was not a pleasant experience and I couldn't stop coughing afterward, to the point I almost stayed overnight. Trick is not to start coughing. The second time I saw a pulmonologist who said they drained too quickly the first time. He did the procedure in his office then and there and it went much better. You don't really have any pain but you will feel the pressure. I coughed all night after the first time it was done but felt so much better the following day. Before the draining I literally couldn't take 10 steps without stopping to catch my breath. I believe the condition slowed my healing down considerably. I had nearly two liters drained the first time and about one the second time. No problems since than. Good luck!

 

[Mellyouttaphase]

I actually feel fine. Anyone who has seen my X-ray is amazed I am not short of breath but I haven't really noticed. My body always hides symptoms. I had a nasty pericardial effusion and pleural effusion that were both drained in theatre a week after my valve replacement and the registrar asked how I faked my excellent obs! Yesterday at the rehab gym my oxygen sats never dropped below 96 and I was breathing well. My body is really good at pretending. I did notice that I started yawning when they upped the intensity though. Maybe this is a symptom.

After my pleural effusion was drained in theatre, I coughed solidly for three hours driving my ICU nurse insane. Will coughing make the procedure more uncomfortable or undermine the success of the procedure?

I am also super confused about being admitted. I live four hours away from the hospital where my surgery was performed and have been told I need to travel there to be admitted and there will be a day or two in hospital. Then my GP had managed to go over the registrar's head talking to my surgeon yesterday who said apparently we're going to see if we can get it done where I live. This would be more convenient but we'll see.

 

[Mellyouttaphase]

I just did a search on Thoracentesis and have found a whole new playground of threads to read. Some of them scream painful and some of them don't. I am not going to lie, I am really nervous about this and am going to beg for sedation. For my second week on the ward, my bed was very close to the procedure room where this was being performed. My sister is a RN who has assisted with this procedure when she worked in coronary care and is arguing with me that she never heard anybody yelling or screaming getting this done. Maybe her patients were far more stoic than Ward 2E at Prince Charles Hospital.

 

[honeybunny]

The coughing from my first draining lasted throughout the night and scared the bejezzus out of my daughter. When I explained this to the pulmonologist prior to the second draining he advised to fight the urge to cough as it was being done and that worked. It has to do with your lung refilling with air as the fluid around it is drained. I felt a lot of pressure during both procedures.

BTW, this fluid is supposed to be naturally absorbed by the body and my cardiologist waited a week before sending me for the procedure to see if that would happen (I'd had symptoms for nearly two weeks by that time).

 

[Mellyouttaphase]

Thank you, honeybunny. I found your thread too by the way!

I haven't had any symptoms that I have noticed but I have always just adapted to my condition, whatever that may be. I also have possibly just put down any pain/issues to the surgery in general. Over a month my PE has gone from maybe around 200ml to pushing on my heart. I thought it was just going away as my persistent cough seems to be easing and I seem to be getting so much stronger! My sister pointed out that I get wheezy when I talk a lot but I thought I was just being over-animated.

I had an appt with another GP yesterday as my usual doctor doesn't work on Saturdays and he was confused because he expected to find a stricken patient gasping for breath in the waiting room. I was sent home and told that I can wait until I meet my surgeon on Tuesday to see what he thinks but to pack my pyjamas because I probably won't get to go straight home. And of course given strict orders to go to straight to emergency should I experience shortness of breath.

I have been active, I have used my spirometer like they told me, walking lots, waaahhhh I did everything right! Does anybody have any superstellar tips to prevent this happening again?

 

[Mellyouttaphase]

Well I am chilling back on my old ward awaiting an ultrasound this afternoon but have been advised it is pretty likely I'll be having a sleepover. I had to steel myself before walking back past theatre through the doorway to the ward but I promised myself I wouldn't pause. Big warm welcome from the nursing staff who are all like; "You're back?!" I think they're just relieved that I must have finally stopped crying at some point.

Update: X marks the spot. Boooo.

 

[Mellyouttaphase]

I am awaiting an X-ray before discharge. It really was not so bad after all the stress and anxiety I channeled into it. One of the nurses on the ward who initially freaked me out took it upon herself to hold my hand but the pain was minimal (I thought it would be max-extreme screaming out for mercy!). Anti-climatic!

I dropped 900ml almost instantly which made breathing extremely difficult. By the time I went to bed 1300ml had drained and this is where it tapped out. Super uncomfortable once the local anaesthetic wore off and deep breaths/coughing/laughing/yawning nigh intolerable but once again, nowhere near what I had worked myself up for!

 

[pellicle]

hmmmm

.... It really was not so bad after all the stress and anxiety I channeled into it. One of the nurses on the ward who initially freaked me out took it upon herself to hold my hand but the pain was minimal (I thought it would be max-extreme screaming out for mercy!). Anti-climatic!

do you think she "kinda liked you" and was setting you up for a chance to hold your hand?

;-)

 

[Mellyouttaphase]

Oh they all like me here
When I was here for my surgery she was making small talk and for some reason dropped a statement along the lines of "the worst is draining pleural effusions! No way could I ever have that done, only under a general or with hardcore sedation!" ... Oops.

 

[Agian]

Well, it's all behind you now Melly. Good on you.

 

[honeybunny]

Glad it is over and done with and you feel better