Treatment should remove air from the pleural space so that the lung can re-inflate. This also helps to inflate the lung. Surgery is almost never needed at this point. Another treatment is simple aspiration . This treatment consists of inserting a catheter into the chest cavity.
Air is aspirated until the patient begins to cough or no further air is removed.
The catheter is then removed. This option is entertained more in the United Kingdom than in the United States. If aspiration is attempted and is unsuccessful, a chest tube is inserted in the chest cavity with a simply surgical procedure. Chest tubes relieve the pressure inside the chest cavity so the lung can re-inflate with normal breathing. Chest tubes allow for the lung to re-inflate immediately.