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My Child Has:
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Fluid Aspiration and Drainage
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Fluid aspiration and drainage performed in the Radiology Department are procedures in which image guidance (ultrasound or x-ray) is used to place a needle into an abnormal fluid collection in order to remove the fluid.
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Fluid aspiration and drainage performed in the Radiology Department at Children's Hospital Boston is performed with the use of image guidance (ultrasound or x-ray) in order to permit rapid and precise removal of the abnormal fluid. This technique avoids the need for a skin incision and is usually performed without general anesthesia. The procedure is performed by interventional radiologists who are physicians with special training in invasive image-guided techniques in infants and children. Children's Hospital Boston radiologic technologists and nurses are trained and experienced in the care of children undergoing these procedures.
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Aspiration and drainage is usually recommended when abnormal fluid collections are present in the body and are believed to be causing significant symptoms. Examples include large pleural effusions or empyemas (infected fluid around the lung) and abdominal abscesses in cystic lesions.
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The technique of fluid aspiration and drainage, when performed by an appropriately trained and experienced interventional radiologist, is a safe technique. Like any other invasive procedure, certain complications and side effects can occur. These will be explained to you in detail before you give your consent. Some discomfort is associated with the passage of the needle through the skin but this is minimized by the use of local anesthesia (numbing medication injected into the skin) and sedation medication. After the fluid is removed, the patient is usually more comfortable than before.
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Ideally, aspiration and drainage is performed after the patient has eaten no solid food for eight hours and no clear fluids for three hours. Additional imaging tests such as computed tomography (CT) or ultrasound may be needed to define the problem prior to performing the drainage procedure.
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Aspiration and drainage is performed in one of the radiology suites. After making the patient more comfortable with an injection of medication into the patient's intravenous line, the skin over the fluid collection is cleaned with a special iodine solution and sterile drapes are applied to prevent infection. Local anesthesia (numbing medication) is injected into the skin and, using ultrasound or CT images (computed tomography) for guidance, the interventional radiologist passes the needle through the skin into the fluid collection. Some of the fluid will be removed and examined to see whether or not it is infected. If the fluid is infected, the interventional radiologist may exchange the needle for a small catheter (a tube with multiple drainage holes) in order to continue the drainage procedure over the next few days.
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Ultrasound or CT images show the precise location of the fluid collection and the organs next to the fluid. The radiologist can use this information to plan the safest course of the needle and avoid puncturing the adjacent organs. With image-guided aspiration, the radiologist can clearly see the needle as it is being placed. Also, once the final catheter is in place, the x-ray equipment allows the radiologist to ensure that the entire fluid collection is being drained.
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The interventional radiologist will inform you of the findings and results immediately after the procedure.
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Further information can be obtained by calling Children's Interventional Radiology Office at 617-355-6579. The appropriate person will return your call.
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