Hello everyone. I also had a collapse lung, and had the chest tubes in and 2 surgeries. Also had nerve blockages 4 time and a spinal cord stimulation for a few days, then had a nerve abrasion. I went through all of that and nothing worked. So I guess we are all in the same boat! I see.

Posted by Sandy at 2pm on 14.09.05

I’m a 31 yr old female and I’ve just had my second spontaneous pneumothorax. I’ve just signed up for surgery (carrying out bleb stapling and abrasion pleurodesis), but my surgeon says that VATS has a higher recurrence risk than thoracotomy (bigger incision) He’d therefore prefer to do the latter , but wants instead of using a rib spreader, (which he thinks can cause cracks and therefore rib pain) to take out a little section of rib and not put it back. I have to say this worries me a lot, because I have read a lot of postings about ongoing pain after surgery. Has any-one else had the more open procedure and if so did they lose a bit of rib?I wonder if I should get a second opinion?

Vicky

Posted by Vicky Jones at 1pm on 24.02.06

I am a 22year old male. I had 3 collapses on my left side within 2 years, my doctor refered me to a consultant who monitored me. It was only after a collapse on my right side occured that i was refered for surgery. I had what is called a pluerectomy, which means using keyhole surgery the abseses on the top of the lung(which kept rupturing and letting the air escape) removed and also the removal of my lung lining so that my lungs stick to the chest wall and therefore only have a 2%chance of collapsing again. It means a hospital stay of 7-10days and you recieve a epiduarl for pain relief.
nearly 3 years on i have had no collapses and apart from the odd bit of discomfort live a normal life.

Posted by Gary at 8pm on 20.03.06

I have had a pneumothorax with surgery, a rib spreader was used, the pain is bloody awfull now. i wish it was neverdone. the surgeon takes no blame for this, saying it was just part of the proceedure. i am currently undergoing pain management, having had 2 sessions of more painfull injections with no let up.
I would like to hear from anyone with a complaint, with the intention of complaining to the ombusman.
all this and still only 42, long road ahead.

Posted by lynn Williams at 10pm on 30.06.06

Hi everyone I was a Sp sufferer 2 years ago yesterday that was my first and only time but I remember it like yesterday, I just wanted to say to all those out there who have had one off sp thought of it dose get better over time I still every few days think why it happened as there is no real known cause for it but I dont worry as much know, I do truly sympathise with you all as is worst thing to go through most of you are probably thinking I was lucky just to have the one time and not to have further surgery but was shock for me at 22. Good luck and get well to all

Posted by Jenny at 11pm on 09.05.07

Hi everyone. I am an 18-year-old male i had an sp 2 months ago during spring break. it was awful and no one in my family or neighbours have ever heard of this case and all thought i was exagerating untill the air began to expand even more and more. then i got to the hospital and spend 5 days there. i just wanna tell u to take it easy on ursleves I am 18, and there’s still a big risk that sp will occur to me again still am not obsessed with the thought of it comin back and no one should be because it would ruin ur lives. just follow the doctors orders. stop smoking, out on some weight for protection. And enjoy ur lives :D and for those who had to undergo surgery I just hope that ur all ok now.

Posted by Fouad at 6am on 29.05.07

I’m 22 and i had my first spontaneous pneumothorax at the end of October. I went down to pick up my laundry and suddenly i had this sharp pain in my chest. Naturally i didn’t know what happened so i try to shrug off the pain like nothing happened. But the next day the pain was still there, because when i walked and breathe it felt like my heart was hurting, so on the third day i went to the doctor and they said it was “Chest Pain Wall” however, on the fourth day they called me and told me that another doctor saw my X-Rays and said my lung had collapsed. So i went the this hospital a pulmonologist said he was at to get me to recovery, when i went the ER sent me back home not contacting my doctor and said i had “Chest Pain Wall.” Then the next day the pulmonologist’s office called me and said i never went (But I did) and so sent me back for direct admitting.

I didn’t know what was going on, they gave me oxygen for the night and then a chest tube the next day. I was in the hospital for 3 days and sent home that i was fine. But for a couple of weeks i lived in this panic attack mode wondering if it happened again, but it was just scaring from the chest tube. I still worry about it and I think i get these fake symptoms cause I think about it so much, but you know cause like everyone says you can feel your lung hit the chest wall. I was a smoker but now i quit it all. The things that could happen later in life out weight the pleasure. I just hope it doesn’t happen again.

Does anyone know if you could gain weight and this helps it not to occur again or some tips of healing doctors have said to you? Mine said that quiting smoking decreases it a lot but i need more advice cause i try to learn more about it online and there is not to much. I would like any advice that anyone can give me. that their doctor gave them or how you live now. Thanks

There is no knowledge that is not power
lilman748@hotmail.com

Posted by Luis Salinas at 10pm on 27.11.07

i thought it was just me !.
had two sp’s when i was 28, it was a very scary time. thought i was having a heart attack. had drains put in then was sent to the london chest hosp where i had a pluerectomy op. was told it was a long recovery, i was off work for a year, that was over 6 years ago and i still have loads of pain. surgeon and dr just say that its nerve damage etc. part of my chest and back are still numb now. thank god i found this sight. am in pain now, thats why i looked on line for some help. please contact me for chat etc. nicky1972@blueyonder.co.uk

Posted by nick at 8pm on 12.12.07

I had an SP in April 07, it hurt like hell and the doctors at the hospital inserted a drain but every day the drain twisted and I had in total 4 drains in 5 days inserted into my left side and still the lung reamained totally collapsed, I was then carted of to London to undergo VATS surgery and had a further 2 drains inserted. After 8 weeks of being in hospital I was back at work but in September 07 I started suffering with chronic chest pain and have not been back since, everyday the pain is there and I even started to suffer with shortness in breath. My GP has since diagnosed me with Asthma and has said that the pain is due to the operation and can not tell me when or if it will go. Then in May 08 I had yet another SP but this time in my right side, luckily this was resolved within 5 days and no operation was needed but i’ve been told that the chances of a re-occurence is really high and if this happens then I will have to have the VATS procedure again ( THIS I DONT WANT ). I’ve asked Doctors what is causing the SP’s and have been told it’s because i’m tall n skinny. I just want to know if the pain will go and whether I can return to work but lately i’m worried about the re-lapse.

Posted by Kevin at 12pm on 28.06.08

hi all, just popped by couple of sites since i been thinking, n kinda worrying, im a spontanious pmueno thrax patient, i was on holiday when it first occure, i was 16, 3 days after my birthday, i had a tube suction fo 4 days but 6 days in total in the hospital, i was with my couzins which mean tthat my familty was bk in uk, n we could only get intouch through phone, it was a hard tym, since auguy 2007 till about december ive been feeling ok, then i had a stange feeling of noices when i breathe, n my top left chest felt pain every time i take full breathes, i went hospital, without my parents becouse i didnt want them to worry, then they said you had a little air, outside the lungs n should take couple of days to decrease, then couple weeks later, i felt the same pain , n this tym it felt like a grape full og bubbles if that make sence under my lungs, left ribs, n every tym i jumped or run , i feel something moving, wen tto hosptal this tym with my family since ive been worrying sick, doctor said, tha tim paranoid, n i know my self, i kept tellin ghim tha ti have a reoccourance, after an x ray, he said that i do have it and should get it de imflated by a needle, so their i go with a needle stuk on my left chest so they can take the air out, i hope you all can understand me since im finding it hard to actually explain all, anyways, had a appointment with a cardio surgeon, n made a plan that the best way on forward is a surgery, so i took it, with a smile on my face since august 2007 till 2008 jan ive had no excercise n its killing me to see people running n doign everything they want n in such a young age, things like this shouldnt happen, alwas been slim, tall, but never thought such thing could happen to me, had the surgery n again i had a tube in my chest, 3 days in hospital, had a LEFT VAT APICAL BULLECTOMY AND TALC PLEURODESIS, i was in suction for 48 hours n my drains were removed on 08/01/08 been couple of months later on, n now its july, n sadly im feeling as if im having an occurance since after doing gym, it felt as if the feelign when after my operation was, couldnt able to move my left ribs or inflate it with big deep breaths couse my left lungs wasnt used to the powder they put in my left lungs, its really annoying, this pnumo thorax, becosue it stops you from all the things your used to, n knowing theirs somehthing wrong with you doesnt help at all, so all for now, i dont know what shall happen but im hoping to get on with my normal life since im only 16, n i should be enjoying my self, n not having naother operation, it hurts everry tym i loook at the scars since it reminds me of the pain in the hospital, n not a day i dnt stop, n take this breathe of fresh air n jsut smile knowing that im all blessed, im hoping to call my surgeon n see whats wrong, for all the patients who’s looking for information online PLEASE DNT LISTEN becouse, most of the topics is about the things that went bad, out of 20 pnumo thorax patients who had surgery only 1 will have a reoocurance n its est to go hospital n talk to a phuno thorax surgeoun or any one who knows complete info of this sickness,
all the best people n
try not to think about it,
theirs alto of ways of treating this,
only of a matter of tym so be patient n ty not to wait,
lee.

Posted by lee at 2am on 19.07.08