Thankfully, the discomfort is typically manageable and should eventually pass.
Postpneumonectomy Syndrome
A pneumonectomy is the removal of one entire lung.
This causes severe shortness of breath and chest pain.
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It can be life-threatening.
Children have a greater risk of developing PPS.
It’s also more frequent following the removal of the left lung versus the right.
Your healthcare provider will probably order several tests to diagnose PPS.
These can includecomputed tomography (CT) scans,pulmonary function tests (PFTs), andbronchoscopy.
Long-term pain after lobectomy surgery is more common than after a pneumonectomy.
But whichever key in of problem you suffer from, the discomfort may taper off.
The pain is mild in most cases, though it can still be inconvenient.
About 50% of people report that the pain interferes with their daily life.
Causes
The process of opening up the chest and pushing back the rib cage is invasive.
The post-operative healing process itself can also lead to late-onset pain.
Your healthcare providers will likely recommend a combination of treatments to combat the pain rather than one treatment alone.
This multi-modal approach has been seen to be more successful because it targets multiple sites that can cause pain.
These may be used together or alone.
Opiods
Opioids provide relief to patients by blocking pain.
While effective, their use must be carefully considered and monitored.
Opiods pose a range of side effects.
Minor ones include sleepiness, constipation, and nausea.
They may also cause issues that interfere with everyday life, including confusion.
More serious side effects may include shallow breathing, slowed heart rate, and loss of consciousness.
Serious complications could be fatal.
These should be reported to a healthcare provider immediately.
An estimated 2.5 million people experience NSAID-related kidney problems each year.
Discuss the risks with your healthcare provider before beginning a regular regimen of NSAIDs.
Opioid addiction is a significant problem that affects people of every walk of life.
This can bring down inflammation and ease chronic pain.
You may need to continue to have regular injections several months apart to remain pain-free.
This perspective is part of assuming apositive, hopeful attitudethat will help you heal and enjoy life every day.
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