January 12, 2016 A mesothelioma expert with Mount Sinai in New York agrees with the finding of a recent Turkish study concerning the benefits of mesothelioma surgery. According to thoracic surgeon and researcher Raja Flores, MD, patients undergoing the less radical pleurectomy and decortication (PD) have better outcomes than those treated with extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP).
Turkish Study of 72 Mesothelioma Patients Concludes More Radical Surgery Does Not Produce Better Survival Times
For many years, physicians have compared results of the two surgeries among mesothelioma patients. In the first type of surgery, PD, the surgeon takes out the pleura surrounding the lungs along with the diaphragm and the membrane encasing the heart. With EPP, the lung most affected by the mesothelioma tumor is also removed.
Mesothelioma doctors who prefer the less radical PD procedure believe that the risks of complications and death from EPP outweigh the benefits.
In an article published in the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Dr. Flores noted that a recent Turkish study involving 72 mesothelioma patients supported his preference for PD over EPP. The Turkish scientists reportedly concluded that EPP patients do not survive longer than PD patients. But total lung removal does subject them to a more difficult recovery and substantial health risks.
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If you (or a loved one) have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, contact us by email or call us at 800.226.9880 to speak with our mesothelioma lawyers, like Peter Kraus and Leslie MacLean in our Dallas office, to learn more about how we can assist you and your family with a mesothelioma lawsuit.
