Lung Center

Bypass sugery and fluid in lungs

05/28/2008 06:12PM

Question:

My sister had 6 bypass surgery on the 4th of April, 2008. She also suffered a mild stroke, she went home 2 wks later and after about 2 wks at home, she woke up one morning and couldn`t breathe, so she went back to the hospital. They found out she had fluid in her lungs. They inserted drainage tubes in each of her lungs, and said she would have them for about a month. In the mean time, when they drew the fluid off at the hospital the first time, it caused her kidneys to act up. Will drawing fluid off her lungs for a month cause damage to other organs? And how long can the drainage tube stay in to be safe? I want my sister well, and can you tell me anything that we can do to help clear up the lungs? Thanks.

Answer:

The appropriate therapy for fluid in and around the lungs really depends on the underlying cause. In your sister's case, it is possible that the bypass surgery itself caused some fluid to build up around her lungs or perhaps a degree of congestive heart failure contributed as well. However, many other things such as infection or kidney failure can cause similar problems, so the right treatment truly depends on the primary cause. In most cases, if drainage tubes are placed, they will be left in place until the problem has corrected itself (there is no absolute time limit for such things). And sometimes, the aggressive removal of fluid from the lungs (and other body systems) can impact the function of other organs such as the kidneys.

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Response by:

Jennifer McCallister, MD
Assistant Professor
OSU Asthma Center
Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine
Department of Internal Medicine
College of Medicine
The Ohio State University