ABDOMINAL PUNCTURE

Home Abdominal Puncture Service

Fluid in the abdomen (ascitic fluid) accumulates due to various causes, the most common of which are:

• Cancer (ovarian, pancreatic, bowel).
• Liver cirrhosis.

When there is a lot of ascitic fluid, it can make it hard for the diaphragm to move down when you breathe, which can be very uncomfortable. In these cases, ventral puncture can help.

Ventral puncture can be done safely at home with ultrasound guidance. First, the doctor will use ultrasound to find the spot where there is the most fluid. Then, they will numb the skin and the layers of tissue under the skin with local anesthesia. Finally, they will insert a catheter and drain the fluid.

If the doctor doesn’t know what’s causing the ascitic fluid, they may send a sample of the fluid to the lab for tests.

If the doctor needs to drain a lot of fluid, they may give you human albumin intravenously to help prevent fluid from moving from your blood vessels into your peritoneal cavity.

Unlike pleural effusion, which can be treated with pleurodesis, there is no cure for recurrent ascitic effusion.

The fluid that is drained contains water and other useful substances for the body, such as albumins and iron. However, these substances are not useful in the ascitic cavity. When the fluid is drained, the body quickly replenishes the fluid, which removes more of these useful substances from the body.

Patient discomfort is the only criterion for ventral puncture.