Bleeding With a Pneumonectomy

Some bleeding with a pneumonectomy is expected. However, a serious situation can develop if the bleeding doesn't stop or becomes severe. If you experience severe bleeding with a pneumonectomy, you may need a blood transfusion. Although it is possible to get an infection or a disease from the blood, it is extremely rare, since the blood is tested for diseases like hepatitis and AIDS.

Pneumonectomy Risks

Bleeding With a Pneumonectomy: An Overview

While some bleeding with a pneumonectomy is normal, uncontrollable bleeding and/or damage to a major blood vessel are possible complications of this procedure. There are different causes of serious bleeding and different ways to stop it; sometimes, it even stops by itself. But if it doesn't stop right away, your surgeon may have to spend additional time in the operating room to correct the cause. If bleeding continues or increases after your operation, another surgery may be required.

You should let your surgeon know if you have a history of abnormal bleeding. If significant bleeding does happen, you may need a blood transfusion. This means you will be given extra blood from the blood bank. Getting blood like this is usually safe. The blood is tested for AIDS and other diseases, like hepatitis, before it's given to you.

There is a small chance that you can get a disease or infection from blood, but this is rare. The risk for getting hepatitis C is about 1 out of 100,000; for hepatitis B, it's 1 out of 200,000; the risk of getting HIV is about 1 out of 600,000.