Collapsed Lung (Pneumothorax)

Fizman

Has anyone any experience of suffering this injury, or know of somebody who has?

I've suffered two of these over the past 24 months, both resulting from awkward falls in soccer. As a result, I have been on a waiting list for corrective surgery (pleurodesis) for several months now, and i've just gotten a call from St. James' hospital saying that i'm getting the op next week in Blackrock clinic. I'll probably be in for the bones of a week post op, then several weeks recovery.

I guess i'm just looking to see if anybody has had this op before, and what the recovery period was regarding work, sport etc etc?

Any info greatly appreciated lads.

P.S. Mods if you think this is better elsewhere please advise!

Mr Magnolia

You could try Bioligy and Medicine, they may give you an idea. Best of luck with the Op.

g'em

Yup, I think Bio & Med is probably more appropriate (moved from Men's Health)

Vorsprung

Hi there,

Have a bit of experience with these, was working with the cardiothoracics crew when their intern was away the other week. The operation involves putting an irritant in the pleural space (worth a google, not quite sure what the best way is to describe it). Anyway the pleural space is what fills with air when you're lung collapses. The irritant causes fibrosis, and makes the 2 layers of the pleura stick together, so no air can get in - hopefully solving your problem.

Access to the pleura is gained through the chest wall - this tends to be fairly sore after, you'll be on fairly strong painkillers.

Haven't any personal experience I'm afraid! Maybe there's some others floating about who can help you.

Best of luck with it

sd123

Fizman wrote: »

Has anyone any experience of suffering this injury, or know of somebody who has?

I've suffered two of these over the past 24 months, both resulting from awkward falls in soccer. As a result, I have been on a waiting list for corrective surgery (pleurodesis) for several months now, and i've just gotten a call from St. James' hospital saying that i'm getting the op next week in Blackrock clinic. I'll probably be in for the bones of a week post op, then several weeks recovery.

I guess i'm just looking to see if anybody has had this op before, and what the recovery period was regarding work, sport etc etc?

Any info greatly appreciated lads.

P.S. Mods if you think this is better elsewhere please advise!

Pretty much what the poster above said, an irritant is inserted and makes your lung stick to your thoracic wall, which pretty much stops any future pneumothorax. As a matter of interest, how did you suffer a pneumothorax from a fall? Did you suffer a fractured rib, which in turn punctured your pleural sac?

Fizman

sd123 wrote: »

Pretty much what the poster above said, an irritant is inserted and makes your lung stick to your thoracic wall, which pretty much stops any future pneumothorax. As a matter of interest, how did you suffer a pneumothorax from a fall? Did you suffer a fractured rib, which in turn punctured your pleural sac?

Basically, on both occasions I was playing a soccer match. Both falls were v similar. I was contesting a header, and on both occasions the person I was marking didn't jump, and on winning the header and them still retreating backwards towards me, I kind of flipped over their shoulder. I landed directly on my rib cage. Played on for a few minutes but gradually breathing became more difficult and my chest felt very tight.

I didn't suffer any rib damage at all. When I suffered the same injury a second time round, then did a cat scan and it turns out I have two little air bubbles sitting on top of my lung, called bullous I think. On impact, one of these little bubbles basically just burst, causing the hole in my pleural sac.

As far as I know, the corrective surgery involves collapsing my lung again, removing the lining of the lung, removing the bullous from the top of the lung, then applying the irritant to seal the lung to the chest wall. Thankfully it is now done through keyhole.

Fizman

Just an update on this.

I was released yesterday afternoon from Blackrock after having the operation last Wednesday afternoon. I had expected to be in there a few more days but I won't complain.

The pleurectomy was a success, but by jesus it is one tough experience!! I'm still in considerable pain at home now almost a week after the op....and they had told me i had been one of their better lung patents!! In many cases patients struggle to handle the pain and are given the self-induced morphine thing that they hold in their hand and press for relief. Thankfully i didn't get to this level.

Suffered pretty bad nausea until saturday, probably due to the hard pain killers turning me off any food.

Going from my previous two experiences of getting the tube removed from my chest, I wasn't dreading it too badly. Little did i know the lenght of what they actually had inside me. I'd say there was safely 4 inches of a relatively thick tube going from the very bottom of my rib cage all the way (diagonally) to the very top of the pleural cavity, which is where the majority of the pain was sourced. Not pleasant!

So i'm out of work now for probably 2-3 weeks, depending, and struggling to get any solid sleep so have a lotta time to burn!

Oh and i'd like to say that I can't speak highly enough of Blackrock clinic and its staff. Its more like a hotel, and each new nurse/doctor i met was nicer than the other.