July 2026

In cancer patients, water gets repeatedly filled-up even after previous successful evacuation. To control and prevent recurrent collection, a special technique called ‘Pleurodesis’ is employed. In this technique, a special medicine is instilled into the chest cavity, which helps in uniting both the inner walls of the chest, so that no empty space is left

If the amount of collected water is more than 500 millilitres, consult immediately a thoracic surgeon and have the water in the chest removed with the help of a chest tube. This procedure will prevent the lung from unnecessary trauma and destruction. A chest tube will remove water completely from the chest. Always remember emptying

First thing you do is to get the chest x-ray done. The Consult a physician and show him the chest x-ray. If chest x-ray confirms the presence of water, get immediately the ultrasound examination of chest done. If the amount of water collected is between 400 to 500ml millilitres, this water in the chest needs

Sometimes, this water thus collected, is converted into a pus due to negligence. If this pus collected inside the chest is not taken out at the earliest, a dangerous situation may arise. This dangerous condition is called in medical terms a ‘Bronchopleural Fistula (B.P.F.)’. In this condition not only the affected side of lung is

If the collection of water inside the chest is left as such without any treatment, a sufferer will face a number of complications in due course of time. With the gradual passage of time, at the collection-site, a thin membrane appears which surrounds and attempts to limit the water collection. it suppresses the adjoining portion

Read more… Dr. K K PandeyDr. K. K. Pandey is a Senior Consultant in Thoracic & Endothoracic Surgery at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, New Delhi, with 30+ years’ experience in lung cancer surgery, chest tumors, pleural diseases, VATS, esophageal surgery and minimally invasive thoracic procedures. He is also a dedicated health writer and educator.

The other important cause of collection of water inside the chest in our country is the lung cancer, second is breast cancer and third is lymph node cancer or lymphoma. Besides, the disease of liver (liver cirrhosis), water in the abdomen (ascites), disease of heart also leads to collection of water inside the chest. In

In our country the most common cause of collection of water inside the chest is a tubercular or T.B. infection, which causes a strong reaction (activity) on the surface of the lung. The other common causes of collection of water inside the chest are infection, pneumonia, lung abscess and the disease of bronchiectasis.  Read more…

The collection of water inside the chest and around the lung is called in medical terms a ‘Pleural Effusion’ or ‘Hydrothorax’. There lies an empty space between the lung and chest wall. In this free space, lung regularly and freely inflates and deflates during breathing process. This empty space is called in medical term a

Often during an informal talk, you might have heard your relatives, friends or neighbours telling you about a particular person who had collection of water inside the chest around the lung and got treated by a doctor for a long time. The treating doctor evacuated the water collected inside the chest through a syringe-needle. Sometimes