What is a bronchoscopy?
Bronchoscopy is a diagnostic procedure that enables your physician to examine your airways. During the procedure, one of two varieties of bronchoscopes is utilized:
- A flexible bronchoscope
- A rigid bronchoscope
The flexible form is more prevalent and can be used in the workplace after administering sedatives. A rigid mask is used if bleeding is in the lungs or a large object is blocking the airways. Rigid bronchoscopy is performed under general anaesthesia in a hospital setting.
During a bronchoscopy, your doctor will thread the bronchoscope through your nose or mouth and down your oesophagus to your lungs. On the extremity of the bronchoscope are a light source and a camera. Most bronchoscopes are compatible with colour video, allowing your physician to document the findings.
Why does a doctor order a bronchoscopy?
Using the bronchoscope, your physician can view all of the components of your respiratory system. These include your larynx, trachea, and the bronchi and bronchioles, which are the smaller airways of your lungs.
A bronchoscope examination can assist your doctor in diagnosing and treating any respiratory issues you may be experiencing. Additionally, your physician may collect biopsies of airway secretions or tissues to help diagnose lung and airway conditions.
The diagnosis
Bronchoscopy is capable of diagnosing:
- a lung disease
- a tumour
- a chronic cough
- an infection
In addition to detecting the source of pulmonary bleeding and identifying foreign bodies in young infants, the procedure can also detect the cause. If you have an abnormal chest X-ray or CT scan that reveals evidence of an infection, a tumour, or a collapsed lung, your doctor may prescribe a bronchoscopy.
Treatment
The procedure is occasionally utilized as a treatment method.
A bronchoscopy enables your doctor to administer medication to your lungs or remove a foreign object, such as food, from your airways. Additionally, the procedure can be used to administer laser therapy to certain minor tumours.
A bronchoscopy can place small stents in the airways if necessary to keep them open.
Risks of a bronchoscopy
Bronchoscopy is generally safe for patients. However, as with any medical procedure, there are risks involved, such as:
- hoarseness
- bleeding, especially if a biopsy is done
- infection
- trouble breathing
- a low blood oxygen level during the test
Contact your doctor if you:
- develop a fever
- cough up blood
- have difficulty breathing
These symptoms may indicate a medically required complexity, such as an infection.
Rare complications associated with the use of topical anaesthesia during bronchoscopy include voice box or airway spasms, seizures, and cardiac arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms).
Heart attack and lung collapse are infrequent but potentially fatal complications of the procedure.
A collapsed lung can be caused by a pneumothorax or increased lung pressure caused by the escape of air into the lung lining. This is the consequence of a lung puncture during the procedure and is more prevalent with a rigid bronchoscope than with a flexible fibre-optic scope.
If air collects around your lung during the procedure, your physician can remove it using a chest tube.
Who shouldn’t get a bronchoscopy?
Specific individuals cannot endure a bronchoscopy. Your physician may advise against the procedure if you have the following:
- tracheal stenosis (severe narrowing or blockage of the trachea)
- pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in the blood vessels of the lungs)
- recently had a heart attack
- certain types of cardiac arrhythmias
- an untreatable bleeding disorders
- severe coughing or gagging
- low oxygen levels
Additionally, suppose you have hypercapnia (high levels of carbon dioxide in your blood) or severe shortness of breath. In that case, your doctor may place you on a breathing machine before the procedure. This is done to guarantee adequate oxygenation of the lungs during the bronchoscopy.
Bronchoscopy procedure
Once you are at ease, the procedure will commence with the following steps:
- The doctor will insert the bronchoscope into your airway.
- Your doctor will guide the instrument from your nose to your throat until he or she reaches your bronchi. The bronchi are the airways in your lungs.
- Your doctor may have attached brushes or needles to the bronchoscope. If so, these will now be used to obtain tissue samples from your lungs. These samples can assist your physician in diagnosing any respiratory disorders you may have.
- In addition, your physician may use bronchial washing to collect cells. This involves spraying a saline solution onto the surface of the airways. The washed-off surface cells are then collected and examined under a microscope.
- Depending on the specifics of your condition, your physician may discover one or more of the following:
- blood
- mucus
- an infection
- swelling
- a blockage
- a tumour
- If your airways become obstructed, you may require a stent to keep them accessible. A stent is a small tube implanted into your bronchi with the bronchoscope.
- The bronchoscope will be removed when your physician is finished investigating your lungs.
Types of imaging used in a bronchoscopy
Sometimes, a bronchoscopy is performed using advanced imaging techniques. Innovative techniques can provide a more accurate depiction of the pulmonary interior:
- Your doctor uses CT imaging to see your airways in greater detail during a virtual bronchoscopy.
- During an endobronchial ultrasound, your physician employs an ultrasound probe connected to a bronchoscope to visualize your airways.
- During a fluorescence bronchoscopy, your physician employs a fluorescent light attached to the bronchoscope to see inside your lungs.
Recovery from a bronchoscopy
A bronchoscopy takes between 30 and 45 minutes. You will recuperate in the hospital for a couple of hours because you will be sedated until you feel more alert and the numbness in your throat subsides. Your respiration and vital signs, such as blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen levels, will be monitored during your recovery.
You cannot consume anything until the throat no longer feels numb. This may require 1 to 2 hours. You may experience soreness or scratch in your larynx for a few days and become hoarse. This is very normal. Typically, it is short-lived and resolves itself without medication or treatment.
