title: Use of tunneled pleural catheters for outpatient treatment of malignant pleural effusions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Malignant pleural effusion is a common complication in advanced malignancy that causes debilitating symptoms which result in impaired quality of life. The primary therapeutic goal in malignant pleural effusion management is effective palliation of the associated respiratory symptoms. Pleurodesis by chest tube or thoracoscopy is widely accepted as the gold standard treatment, although these treatments are not without problems. Tunneled pleural catheters represent a new safe and effective outpatient treatment option for these patients, with no reported mortality and minimal morbidity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Chest tube insertion with talc slurry and thoracoscopy with talc insufflation are effective methods for achieving spontaneous pleurodesis, although associated with significant morbidity and mortality. A growing body of evidence is confirming that long-term palliation of malignant pleural effusion can be achieved by using tunneled pleural catheters in a large proportion of relatively unselected patients on an outpatient basis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The optimal method for palliative management of malignant pleural effusion remains controversial. The high success rates, low complication rates and efficacy in patients with a wide range of performance status support the use of tunneled pleural catheters as a first-line treatment for symptomatic malignant pleural effusion.
authors.affiliation: University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: David Ryan
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Stather
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tremblay
mesh_terms: D000556:Ambulatory Surgical Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation*; D015505:Chest Tubes; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D010045:Outpatients; D016066:Pleural Effusion, Malignant / Q000601:surgery*; D013906:Thoracoscopy; D016896:Treatment Outcome