How is collapsed lung treated?

How is collapsed lung treated?

Your treatment depends on the cause, size and severity of your pneumothorax. Collapsed lung treatment may include:

Observation: If your pneumothorax is minor, your provider may watch you for signs of heart or breathing problems. You will see your provider for a follow-up visit.

Supplemental oxygen: Your provider may give you extra oxygen if your pneumothorax is small but you have symptoms. Your provider watches to make sure your condition is stable.

Needle aspiration: During aspiration, a provider uses a syringe to remove some of the air in the pleural space. A provider may follow needle aspiration with percutaneous chest tube drainage.

Chest tube drainage: If you have a larger pneumothorax, your provider may put a hollow tube in your chest to reduce the air in the pleural space. As the air pressure decreases, the lung re-expands and heals. You may have this tube in place for a couple of days or longer.

Chemical pleurodesis: To prevent the lung from collapsing again, a provider may perform pleurodesis. Your provider makes an incision and inserts a tube. Then your provider uses chemicals (such as doxycycline or talc) to attach the lung to the chest cavity, eliminating extra space in the chest cavity.

Surgery: Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) is a minimally invasive procedure that uses a small camera to help the surgeon remove lung tissue. Your surgeon may also perform a chemical pleurodesis or a mechanical pleurodesis using a piece of gauze to attach the lung to the chest cavity. You may be a candidate for surgery if you don’t respond to other treatment or have:

• Persistent air leakage from chest tube.
• Lung that does not expand despite chest tube insertion.
• Recurrent collapse lung.
• Pneumothorax in both lungs.
• Traumatic lung injuries.