Pleural Aspiration

A pleural aspiration is a procedure where a small needle or tube is inserted into the space between the lung and chest wall to remove fluid that has accumulated around the lung. This space is called the pleural space. Pleural aspiration is usually carried out to determine why there is fluid around the lung (diagnostic procedure) or to improve symptoms (therapeutic procedure), as the fluid around the lung may be causing symptoms such as cough, shortness of breath or chest pain.