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Surgical Procedures

Mesothelioma is an aggressive disease. There is no cure. However, there are a few procedures that physicians can perform in an attempt to slow the progression of the disease or to alleviate some of the patient’s suffering. They type of appropriate treatment will depend on the type of mesothelioma that the patient is suffering from.

Pleural mesothelioma usually strikes one lung before the other giving the physicians a chance (if caught early enough) to try surgery to slow the disease. The common surgical procedures are:

  • Pleurectomy – this procedure removes part of the infected lung and the surrounding lining of the chest. This will remove the tumor (or reduce the size) and relieve the painful pressure in the chest cavity area.
  • Pneumonectomy - is when the total lung, the lining around the lung and some of the connective tissue is removed. This procedure is only used in severe cases and only to relieve the pain.
  • Thoracentesis - a procedure to drain excess fluid from the lungs using a needle. This helps a patient to breath and reduces the painful pressure on their lungs.
  • Extrapleural pneumonectome – an extreme surgery that can only be used in cases of mesothelioma. This procedure removes the entire lining of the chest wall that surrounds the heart, lungs and diaphragm to prevent it from becoming infected with mesothelioma. This surgery is usually done in combination with radiation and chemotherapy. The recovery period can easily be a full year. For patients suffering from peritoneal or pericardial mesothelioma, surgical procedures are focused on tissue removal.

    • Surgery is difficult for mesothelioma patients. It’s physically hard on the body, recovery is long and painful, and on top of that - it’s expensive. It is also very often the last resort.

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