DEPARTMENT
OUR
DEPARTMENTS
- Intercostal Chest Drain Insertion (Tube Thoracostomy)
- Pulmonary Function Testing
- Pleurocentesis/Thoracentesis
- Skin Prick Allergy Testing
- Pulmonary Rehabilitation
- Sleep Study or Polysomnography
- Medical Thoracoscopy
- Bronchoscopy
Bronchoscopy
- Bronchoscopy is a procedure a doctor uses to look inside the lungs. This is done with a bronchoscope, a thin, flexible tube with a light and a lens or small video camera on the end. The tube is put in through your nose or mouth, down your throat, into your trachea (windpipe), and into the airways (bronchi and bronchioles) of your lungs. Bronchoscopy can be used to look at an abnormal area seen on an imaging test (such as a chest x-ray or CT scan). Any abnormal areas in the airways that are seen with the bronchoscope can be biopsied to find out if they are cancer.
Indications
- Undiagnosed Pneumonia : To Take Bronchoalveolar Lavage(BAL), Brushings And Biopsies From Respected Airway Involved On X-Ray Or Ct-Scan
- Tuberculosis: To take bronchoalveolar lavage , brushings and/or biopsies from respected airway involved on x-ray or ct scan in patients who have dry cough or sputum examination is inconclusive and to diagnose / rule out drug resistant tuberculosis.
- Malignancy: To take BAL, biopsies from respected segment of bronchial tree involved on ct scan or pet scan , trnasbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) if enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes with conventional technique or endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS).
Before the test
- Be sure your doctor knows about any medicines you are taking, including vitamins, herbs, and supplements, as well as if you have allergies to any medicines. You may be asked to stop taking blood-thinning medicines (including aspirin) or some other medicines for several days before the test. You might also be asked not to eat or drink anything for at least several hours before the procedure
Getting the test
- Bronchoscopy can usually be done as an outpatient procedure (where you don’t need to stay overnight in a hospital). For this test, you’ll lie on your back on a bed or table, with your head raised up slightly. Your mouth (and possibly your nose) and throat will be sprayed first with a numbing medicine. You may also be given medicine through a vein (IV) to make you feel relaxed. Less often, you might be asleep (under general anesthesia) for the test. If you are awake, the insertion of the scope might make you cough at first. This will stop as the numbing drug begins to work. The procedure usually takes about 30 minutes, but it might take longer, depending on what’s being done
After the test
- After the procedure, you will be watched closely to make sure you don’t have any complications. If you got a sedative, you might not remember the procedure. Your mouth and throat will probably be numb for a couple of hours. You won’t be allowed to eat or drink until the numbness wears off. Once the numbness is gone, you may have a sore throat, cough, or hoarseness for the next day or so. Your doctor or nurse should give you specific instructions on what you can and can’t do in the hours after the test. If biopsies were done as part of the procedure, the results typically will be available within a few days, although some tests on the biopsy samples might take longer.