• Reference Number: HEY1572/2025
• Departments: Cardiac Surgery
• Last Updated: 30 April 2025

Also known as a VATS procedure

Introduction

This leaflet has been produced to give you general information about your proposed procedure. Most of your questions should be answered by this leaflet. It is not intended to replace the discussion between you and your doctor but may act as a starting point for discussion. If after reading it you have any concerns or require further explanation, please discuss this with a member of the healthcare team caring for you.

Video Assisted Pleural Lung Biopsy

There are two pleural membranes surrounding the lung which naturally have a small amount of fluid between them this acts as a lubricant. The procedure allows your surgeon to take a biopsy of the pleura. This is a keyhole procedure involving two or three small incisions made between your ribs while you are under a general anaesthetic. The procedure allows your surgeon to see the inside of your chest using a flexible camera and for the passage of instruments to perform the procedure. Most patients following the procedure return to the ward with a chest drain in situ.

Why do I need a Video Assisted Pleural Biopsy

Your CT and or PET scan have shown an abnormality of your lung or pleura. The procedure would look to determine to cause of these changes. It may also be performed to drain fluid from around your lung with the aim of managing any future fluid building up, by performing a talc pleurodesis (instilling of talc between the lung and chest wall which acts as an irritant with the intention of fixing or sticking the lung to the chest wall) or the siting of a PleurX drain. A Pleurx drain drains fluid as it builds up or collects in the chest. At regular intervals a vacuumed bottle is attached to the tube to drain this fluid.

Can there be any complications or risks?

Potential risks of the procedure include chest or wound infection, bleeding, air leak or collapse of the lung.

How do I prepare for the biopsy

There is no specific preparation for the surgery however you should eat well and exercise within your limits, you should be as physically fit, and ell Nourished as this prepares you for surgery and your recovery afterwards. If you have signs of an infection for example a cough, cold or sore throat your procedure may be postponed.

What will happen?

• You will be admitted to ward 27 Castle Hill Hospital the day before your surgery
• Who will greeted by a member of the ward team on your arrival
• Your thoracic surgeon will perform your surgery
• The surgery will be performed under a general anaesthetic
• You will spend time in theatre recovery before returning to the ward following your surgery.
• Post-operative pain management will be offered by ward 27 nursing team
• Following your surgery, you will have a chest drain in situ, this will usually be removed before you go home.

What happens afterwards?

• You will be encouraged to be mobile following your surgery, you will feel sore and will require regular pain relief over the next couple of weeks
• Any biopsy results may take 7 to 10 days to process
• Recovery period is around 2 to 4 weeks
• Expected length of stay in hospital vary between 3 to 5 days
• You will be contacted by your surgeon two weeks following your discharge from the ward who will check on your recovery and explain the biopsy results. You may also be contacted by the Macmillan Thoracic Surgery Lung CNS Team with any further information for example if your case has been discussed in the Lung Cancer MDT.
• Follow-up treatment, this will depend on the biopsy findings

Should you require further advice on the issues contained in this leaflet, please do not hesitate to contact Ward 27 Castle Hill hospital on tel: 01482 461621 or the Macmillan Lung CNS Team on tel: 01482 461090.

General Advice and Consent

Most of your questions should have been answered by this leaflet, but remember that this is only a starting point for discussion with the healthcare team.

Consent to treatment

Before any doctor, nurse or therapist examines or treats you, they must seek your consent or permission. In order to make a decision, you need to have information from health professionals about the treatment or investigation which is being offered to you. You should always ask them more questions if you do not understand or if you want more information.

The information you receive should be about your condition, the alternatives available to you, and whether it carries risks as well as the benefits. What is important is that your consent is genuine or valid. That means:

• you must be able to give your consent
• you must be given enough information to enable you to make a decision
• you must be acting under your own free will and not under the strong influence of another person

Information about you

We collect and use your information to provide you with care and treatment. As part of your care, information about you will be shared between members of a healthcare team, some of whom you may not meet. Your information may also be used to help train staff, to check the quality of our care, to manage and plan the health service, and to help with research. Wherever possible we use anonymous data.

We may pass on relevant information to other health organisations that provide you with care. All information is treated as strictly confidential and is not given to anyone who does not need it. If you have any concerns please ask your doctor, or the person caring for you.

Under the General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018 we are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any information we hold about you. For further information visit the following page: Confidential Information about You.

If you or your carer needs information about your health and wellbeing and about your care and treatment in a different format, such as large print, braille or audio, due to disability, impairment or sensory loss, please advise a member of staff and this can be arranged.