Mesothelioma with Surgery

Pleurectomy/Decortation

In this operation, the surgeon treats the disease by performing a pleurectomy - removing all of the visible tumor in order to free the lung. It is usually attempted in patients whose disease is at Stage I or Stage II.

Pleurodesis

Often, after the pleural effusion (fluid buildup in the chest) has been drained during thoracentesis, the fluid comes back. In this case, talc or other materials are placed in the chest to close the pleural space and prevent the buildup. This can be done in combination with chest tube drainage or with thoracoscopy and video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS).