They could multiple pulmonary emboli on my diagnostic CT scan which required immediate and ongoing anti coagulation.
Fortunately, the minimal pleural effusion did not require drainage and resolved with chemo.
Depending on how much fluid is present it can cause shortness of breath and pain. They may elect to insert a needle to place a drainage tube. This is generally an out patient procedure, done under local anesthetic and provides immediate low risk results. Once the fluid is removed, it only takes a few minutes, the tube comes out and you go home. Yes, there can be problems but they are rare and readily treatable.
Whoever does your procedure will go over the procedure, risks, benefits and alternatives with you before you sign consent.
Hope this helps. 🙏💕

Miriammeyers I had pleural effusion had 1.5 liters drained from my lungs the reason was cancer was back. My surgeon said if I don’t have this operation I would have to have lungs drained a lot & would interfere with my chemo. They performed thoranthesis I believe that is what they call it glue the lung to chest wall where fluid can’t build up it will be a year since it has been done still uncomfortable

I had a pleural effusion also did not know what was going on could not breath had no energy couldn’t walk thought I was dying . Put in hospital they drained me with 2 liters of liquid was painful but felt better after. That is when they knew my cancer was back following week did a procedure at Sloan Memorial hospital they fdrained test of liquid & glued the lung to chest wall so liquid would not come back & that was Oct2020 & still have pain in lung are taking gabapentin at nite to sleep. After that started my chemo with 2 different protocols sfter 9 mths the chemo is not working & tumors are growing . Next week they are starting me on a clinical trial I am platinum sensitive. So I will be doing pill form 2x day & Doxorubicin every 28 days through port so hoping this will knock this cancer out😯

I had pleural effusion and that’s how they diagnosed the
Cancer. I had no idea!!! I just had hard time breathing. The fluid they drained had the cancer cells in it. I had 5 drains before the chemo reduced the fluid. Haven’t had any since July. They did 4 chemos to reduce the fluid before surgery (coming up).

I had a thoracentesis after my Stage IV diagnosis of ovarian cancer. They drained over a liter of fluid from around my lungs. it wasn’t too painful and I haven’t had a reoccurrence so far, 19 months later. There were no cancer cells found in the fluid.