Benign pleural effusions often occur as a result of heart, kidney or liver disease and lead to shortness of breath. Until now, patients have had to undergo regular punctures to remove fluid from the pleural space – the space between the lungs and the chest wall. This often requires external drainage or the lungs to be fully expanded in order to achieve adhesion of the two pleural layers and thus prevent further fluid accumulation.
The new, minimally invasive implantable valve now offers a much gentler and, above all, permanent alternative: it allows excess fluid to drain through the diaphragm into the abdominal cavity, where it is absorbed by the body itself. This eliminates the need for repeated punctures and external drainage.
Improving quality of life with a single procedure
With this procedure, we have a way of relieving patients of shortness of breath, the main symptom of pleural effusions, with a single procedure," explains Clemens Aigner, Head of the Department of Thoracic Surgery at MedUni Vienna and University Hospital Vienna. ‘This innovative method represents a new treatment principle in which the effusion is drained from the pleura into the abdominal cavity via a valve mechanism.’
The two patients treated at University Hospital Vienna to date no longer require punctures and report a significantly improved quality of life. The next step is to scientifically investigate the application of the procedure in a prospective study.