Table 2. Comparison of various treatment methods for recurrent pleural effusions.
| Treatment method | Average cost (14,17) | Symptom relief (14) | Need for further procedures | Pleurodesis rate | Mortality | Morbiditya (18) | Diagnostic yield of biopsy | Length of hospital stay [days] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thorascopic talc pleurodesisb | $780 | +++ | <10% (8) | >90% (8) | <0.5% (8) | 2+ | +++ | 0-1 (2) |
| Thorascopic talc pleurodesisc | $780 | +++ | <10% (8) | >90% (8) | <0.5% (8) | 2+ | +++ | 6±4 (16) |
| Tube thoracostomy & talc slurry | $355 | +++ | 16% (19) | 55-90% (12,18) | 0% | 1+ | − | 6 (10) |
| Thoracentesis | $84 | ++ | 98% (13) | 2% (13) | 0% | <1 | + | − |
| Indwelling pleural catheter | $250 | +++ | 23% (19) | 42-58% (14) | 0% (16) | 1+ | − | 1-3±2 (10,16) |
| Pleurectomy (17) | $3,500 | +++ | <1% (18) | 99% (18) | 10-19% (8) | 5+ | +++ | 8-9 |
++, indicates intermediate level of success; +++, indicates high level of success; a, indicates morbidity as evaluated on a scale of 1 to 5; b, indicates video assisted thorascopic sugery using local anesthetic and IV sedation; c, indicates video assisted thorascopic sugery with intubation.