When Do We Need Pleural Surgery?

Pleural sac is an enclosed sac covering the lung that consist of two membranes, i.e. parietal and visceral pleura. It has a cavity filled with small amount fluid that plays important role to provide smooth sliding of lung during respiration. Change or disturbance in the pleural cavity and or the pleura itself may result in restriction of lung expansion causing ventilation compromise. Pathology of pleura may result from varying etiology. It may present as inflammatory pleural effusion, non-inflammatory pleural effusion, pneumothorax, hematothorax, fibrothorax, pleural tumors, and cylothorax. Diagnostic tool for pleural diseases may be made from the simplest chest x-ray, ultrasound, computed tomography, MRI and histopathological studies. There are several treatment options for managing pleural diseases. It consist non operatif treatment, pleural drainage, decortication or pleurectomy, pleurodesis, and/ or resection of pleural tumor through procedure VATS, or open thoracotomy. Indications for surgery are traumatic or spontaneous pneumothorax, hematothorax, cylothorax, failure of non operatif treatment, fibrothorax or schwarte limiting lung expansion, mesothelioma, and recurrent pneumothorax or malignant pleural effusion. Decision for surgery need appropriate timing and planning regarding different pathology and different etiology.