• A thin tube which is placed through the skin of chest into the space between the lung and ribs (pleural space).
• This allows a look inside the chest and around the outside of lungs to find out why fluid has collected in the chest cavity.
• The procedure is performed under general or local anesthesia.
• It usually involves taking samples, biopsies, from the pleura (the membrane lining the chest wall) through the thoracoscope.
• Some fluid is sent for analysis. This is to find the cause of fluid or air in the pleural space.