Description Chest tubes are inserted to drain blood, fluid, or air and allow full expansion of the lungs. The patient may also be sedated. The chest tube is inserted between the ribs into the chest and is connected to a bottle or canister that contains sterile water.
Suction is attached to the system to encourage drainage.
When the chest tube is no longer needed, it can be easily removed, usually without the need for medications to sedate or numb the patient. After Surgery Recovery from the chest tube insertion and removal is usually complete, with only a small scar. The patient will stay in the hospital until the chest tube is removed. While the chest tube is in place, the nursing staff will carefully check for possible air leaks, breathing difficulties , and need for additional oxygen. Frequent deep breathing and coughing is necessary to help re-expand the lung, assist with drainage, and prevent normal fluids from collecting in the lungs.