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Post empyema/decortication pain.

A little more than a year ago I had an empyema on my left side. Ultimately they did a decortication by thoracotomy. After a few weeks I was told the infection was gone. I haven't had any symptoms since. The only remaining issue is pressure and pain in my left side when taking a deep breath, coughing, sneezing, etc.. The pain level can range from 5 to 8. I can also have pain during normal breathing when laying in some positions. I understand this pain is because there is no pleural area and my lung and chest wall rub together.

Early on, I asked the surgeon about this and he said it would clear up in a few weeks. After a few weeks with no improvement I asked the pulmonologist and she said it could take up to six months to clear up. After six months with no improvement I asked my regular physician and he said it can take a year. At about a year, I asked him again and he shrugged it off saying it was scar tissue.

Its extremely frustrating and I just want to go more than a couple of hours without pain and to stop being constantly reminded of the whole experience.

Does anyone have any suggestions for treatment, solution, or how I can get my doctor to take me seriously about this?

Any advice is greatly appreciated.
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Avatar universal
I also had a thoracotomy/decortication from empyema resulting from pneumonia seven years ago. My lung had collapsed.  The pain is in the front of my chest and  under my left sternum. I have also been told by doctors that it is scar tissue and dismissed.  Most days the pain is manageable with tramadol, but high physically demanding days and driving for long periods in a car can be challenging. Yesterday I saw a hepatologist for liver disease and she pressed very hard into my chest area and I am in a lot of pain.  I had terrible indigestion and today I am in a great deal of pain.  What should I do? What is the scar tissue? could it have adhered to other organs? I wish someone could tell me what is going on.
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Avatar universal
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hello and hope you are doing well.

If there is scar tissue or persisting inflammation, steroids may help control this. Also, there could be an infection of the lungs causing symptoms of pain. You can discuss this with your doctor, in the meantime practice breathing exercises.

Hope this helped and do keep us posted.
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