Pleurectomy

The goal of pleurectomy is to remove the tumor while preserving the lung. Pleurectomy involves the removal of the tumor and the lining around the lung (visceral pleura) and chest wall (parietal pleura) and can include removal of the lining around the heart and the diaphragm.

Pleurectomy Procedure - An identical thoracotomy is performed as in an EPP. The parietal pleura is first dissected off the chest wall and then the mediastinum. The visceral pleura (surrounding the lung) is then opened and removed. Although the procedure can allow extensive debulking (removal of tumor), it is not generally possible to attain complete removal of all tumor with this procedure.

A pleurectomy can control fluid accumulation and decrease pain. The treatment is generally considered to be palliative, that is, it decreases pain but is not a cure. In early stages of mesothelioma, when a pleurectomy is combined with other treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy, it may improve the length of survival.