Pleural Aspiration
What is a pleural aspiration?
A pleural aspiration is a procedure where a small needle or tube is inserted into the space between the lung and chest wall to remove fluid that has accumulated around the lung. This space is called the pleural space.
Pleural aspiration is usually carried out to determine why there is fluid around the lung (diagnostic procedure) or to improve symptoms (therapeutic procedure), as the fluid around the lung may be causing symptoms such as cough, shortness of breath or chest pain.
What happens during a pleural aspiration?
A pleural aspiration is carried out whilst you are sitting upright on the side of a bed and leaning forward. You will usually be provided with a place to rest your arms so you can lean over comfortably.
The skin of your chest is washed with antiseptic and a very fine needle is used to administer local anaesthetic. The local anaesthetic stings for a few seconds before numbing the area.
A small cut is made in the skin and a needle or thin plastic tube is inserted into the space between your lung and chest wall to remove the fluid. The doctor may use an ultrasound to see the inside of your chest on a screen, as this can help find where the largest area of fluid is located.
Most frequently, this area is at the back of your chest or to the side. This is the reason why the doctor stands behind you while doing the pleural aspiration. You may be asked to hold your breath by the doctor who is carrying out the procedure.
Depending on the amount of fluid removed, a tube may be left in place whilst the fluid drains out.
After the procedure, the small opening in the skin is covered with a dressing.
A chest X-ray is usually carried out 2–4 hours after the procedure to assess for any complications.