Understanding Pleurectomy: Types, Procedures, and Recovery

Pleurectomy is a surgical procedure that involves the removal of part or all of the pleura, which is the membrane that lines the inside of the chest cavity and surrounds the lungs. The purpose of the procedure is to remove any cancerous tissue that may be present in the pleura, as well as to relieve any symptoms such as pain or difficulty breathing that may be caused by the cancer.

There are different types of pleurectomy procedures, depending on the extent of the cancer and the desired outcome. Some common types of pleurectomy include:

1. Extended pleurectomy: This procedure involves the removal of all of the pleura on one side of the chest cavity, as well as any cancerous tissue that may be present in the lungs or other nearby structures.
2. Limited pleurectomy: This procedure involves the removal of only part of the pleura, usually on one side of the chest cavity, and may also involve the removal of any cancerous tissue that is present in the lungs or other nearby structures.
3. Pleural debulking: This procedure involves the removal of as much of the cancerous tissue as possible from the pleura, without necessarily removing all of the pleura itself.
4. Pleurectomy-decortication: This procedure involves the removal of the pleura, the diaphragm and the pericardium (the membrane that surrounds the heart) to remove any cancerous tissue that may be present in these structures.

Pleurectomy is usually performed through a thoracotomy, which is an incision made in the chest wall, or through video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS), which is a minimally invasive procedure using a camera and small incisions. The procedure can be performed under general anesthesia or under local anesthesia with sedation.

After the procedure, patients may need to stay in the hospital for several days to recover and undergo follow-up treatments such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy to ensure that all of the cancerous cells have been removed.