Mesothelioma surgery is in many ways a treatment of last resort. The procedures can be debilitating and expensive, but may also extend both the length and quality of the patient’s life.
The most effective forms of surgery for pleural mesothelioma are thoracentesis, paracentesis, pleurectomy and extrapleural pneumonectomy.
- Thoracentesis is an invasive surgical procedure during which excess fluid is removed using a tube called a cannula, which is inserted from behind, through the lateral area of the thorax. Anesthesia is required for this procedure.
- Paracentesis is a similar but less-invasive operation in which a needle inserted through the abdomen is used to drain the excess fluid. A local anesthetic is sufficient, and the surgery can be performed on an outpatient basis.
- Pleurectomy/decortications is the surgical operation in which part of the patient’s lung and surrounding chest lining is removed, lowering the size of the tumor and relieving pressure exerted by it.
- Extrapleural pneumonectomy is the total removal of a lung, the lining that surrounds it, and certain adjacent tissues. This surgery is only attempted as a means of relieving extreme pain.
Surgeries for other types of mesothelioma are also effective, but are performed with somewhat less frequency.
