pleurodesis
Meaning of pleurodesis: Pleurodesis is a procedure that deliberately inflames the pleura to fuse its two layers together, preventing recurrent fluid buildup around the lung.
Definition of pleurodesis
Pleurodesis is a medical procedure that uses a chemical or drug to deliberately cause inflammation between the two layers of the pleura, the thin tissue that lines the chest cavity and covers the surface of the lungs. This inflammation causes the two layers to stick together, closing off the space between them.
The procedure is used mainly to treat a severe or recurrent pleural effusion, a buildup of fluid in the space between the pleural layers that can compress the lung and cause shortness of breath. By eliminating the space where fluid would otherwise collect, pleurodesis helps prevent the fluid from reaccumulating after it has been drained.
Pleurodesis can be performed using a chemical agent instilled through a chest tube or during a surgical procedure, and the choice of method depends on the underlying cause of the effusion and the person's overall clinical situation.
Used in a sentence
Pleurodesis was performed after the pleural effusion recurred despite repeated drainage.
Good to know
Pleurodesis works by eliminating the pleural space itself rather than treating the underlying cause of the fluid buildup, so it is generally used once fluid has already been drained rather than as a treatment for the original condition producing it.
Word origin
Where “pleurodesis” comes from
Formed from Greek pleura, meaning rib or side, referring to the membrane covering the lungs, and desis, meaning binding or fusion.