Extrapleural Pneumonectomy
Mesothelioma is a serious cancer that affects people who have worked near asbestos containing products. The detection of mesothelioma is very difficult as the symptoms only begin to show after 30-40 years of exposure to asbestos. Most of the times mesothelioma affects the lungs as the asbestos fibers get lodged in the lining of the lungs called the mesothelium and these fibers develop into mesothelioma tumors with time. Even though there is no specific cure for mesothelioma, surgical procedures can surely decrease the pain the patient might be feeling and make his life more comfortable. In case the mesothelioma is diagnosed at an early stage the doctors might recommend the patient to go for the surgical procedure called Extrapleural Pneumonectomy.
What is Extrapleural Pneumonectomy
This type of surgery is performed on patients who are diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma in its early stages. As the surgery is extremely complicated, great care needs to be taken both before and after the operation. The option of the surgery also depends on the patient’s general health and age as it can take a long time for the patient to completely recover from the surgery.
The patient is given general anesthesia to minimize any discomfort and a thoracic epidural catheter is inserted to minimize the pain. In Extrapleural Pneumonectomy the surgeon makes an incision over the sixth rib of the affected lung, most of the times the sixth rib is removed. The surgeon then dissects through, avoiding the pleural cavity and removes the parietal pleura (lining of the lung), the diaphragm, the pericardium (lining of the heart) and the affected lung completely.
Post Operative Care
The patient needs to be highly careful when it comes to taking care after the surgery. In case the patient develops low blood pressure because of absence of pericardium then immediate surgery is required. Patients are required to stay in hospital from five to ten days so that pulmonary rehabilitation for the heart can be carried out. This can help the patients restore normal heart functions. The pain in this kind of surgery is also a major issue and if proper drugs are not administered then the patient’s lung can collapse, hence it is necessary that post operative care should be done by doctors who are expert in Extrapleural Pneumonectomy.
As the procedure of Extrapleural Pneumonectomy is highly complicated and great post operative care is required for recovery, it is advised to get the surgery done from only the most experienced doctors. At www.mesotheliomadoctorsgroup.com, we can help you find experienced doctors in mesothelioma treatment and specialized hospitals for mesothelioma treatment. Browse through our site for more information.