A tunnelled indwelling pleural catheter is a specially designed small tube to drain fluid from around your lungs easily and painlessly whenever it is needed. It avoids the need for repeated painful injections and insertion/removal of chest tubes every time fluid needs to be drained.
The drainage can be performed either by you on your own or with the help of a nurse, whichever is easier for you. The catheter is a soft flexible tube that is thinner than a pencil, which remains inside the chest and passes out through the skin. There is a valve on the outer end of the tube to prevent fluid leaking out.