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Life after VATS for pneumothorax

Posted , 3 users are following.

shawn71527
shawn71527

I’ve had several pneumothorax on both left and right lung. My right lung was the most recent 2 years ago, the numbness in the right went away however the left is still there. 

Most recently, I had minor back pain on the right side went in for an xRay and it was a small pneumothorax. Has this happened to anyone else? Doctor said it would heal itself...

0 likes, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • Southerngal
    Southerngal shawn71527

    Posted

    I had surgery on both lungs after multiple collapses over 30 years ago.  I still have blebs pop from time to time.  It is painful, but at least I know I can’t have a collapse due to the surgery. As a matter of fact, I have one that popped a few days ago that is still painful - I think it was caused by my new CPAP machine, which would cause a bit of pressure in the lungs.  Since the surgeries long ago, my popped blebs always heal themselves.

    I am confused as to how you could have an actual pneumothorax after your surgery.  With my surgery, pleural abrasion was part of it, which caused the lung to adhere to the chest wall, making it impossible for it to ever collapse again.  I have had blebs to pop since, but no collapse.  Did they do pleural abrasion to you?

    • shawn71527
      shawn71527 Southerngal

      Posted

      I had a pleurodesis and the pneumothorax I had recently was very small, it wasn’t even a full collapse. The doctor said it was smaller than a tip of a pencil. 

      I’m assuming when your blebs pop you also get a small pneumothorax again but your lung doesn’t collapse?

    • Southerngal
      Southerngal shawn71527

      Posted

      I’m not sure.  I thought that with the lung attached to the chest wall from the pleurodesis that there wouldn’t be any space for air to escape the lung.    But I am just assuming this. When it has happened to me, since my surgery long ago, I only have the pain - not the shortness of breath that accompanied the pain when a lung collapsed before the surgery. 
    • dana46235
      dana46235 Southerngal

      Posted

      Hello. Over this 30 year how are you doing with exercise or camping at the mauntain?
    • Southerngal
      Southerngal dana46235

      Posted

      I’ve never been the athletic type - more of a nerd.  I’ve never had any problems with exercise, but I don’t know if if would feel comfortable getting too far into the wilderness. If you had a problem, it might be difficult to make it back home.  
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