What is Flexible Bronchoscopy
Flexible bronchoscopy is a procedure that is used to examine the passageways in the lungs. During the procedure, a thin, flexible tool with a camera on it (bronchoscope) is passed into the mouth or nose, down through the windpipe (trachea), and into the air tubes (bronchi) in the lungs.
This tool allows your health care provider to look at your lungs from the inside and take testing (diagnostic) samples if needed.
Tell a health care provider about:
- Any allergies you have.
- All medicines you are taking, including vitamins, herbs, eye drops, creams, and over-the-counter medicines.
- Any problems you or family members have had with anesthetic medicines.
- Any blood disorders you have.
- Any surgeries you have had.
- Any medical conditions you have.
- Whether you are pregnant or may be pregnant.
What are the risks?
Generally, this is a safe procedure. However, problems may occur, including:
- Infection.
- Bleeding.
- Damage to other structures or organs.
- Allergic reactions to medicines.
- Collapsed lung (pneumothorax).
- Increased need for oxygen or difficulty breathing after the procedure.
What happens before the procedure?
Medicines
Ask your health care provider about:
- Changing or stopping your regular medicines. This is especially important if you are taking diabetes medicines or blood thinners.
- Taking medicines such as aspirin and ibuprofen. These medicines can thin your blood. Do nottake these medicines before your procedure if your health care provider instructs you not to.
You may be given antibiotic medicine to help prevent infection.
Staying hydrated
Follow instructions from your health care provider about hydration, which may include:
- Up to 2 hours before the procedure – you may continue to drink clear liquids, such as water, clear fruit juice, black coffee, and plain tea.
Eating and drinking
Follow instructions from your health care provider about eating and drinking, which may include:
- 8 hours before the procedure – stop eating heavy meals or foods such as meat, fried foods, or fatty foods.
- 6 hours before the procedure – stop eating light meals or foods, such as toast or cereal.
- 6 hours before the procedure – stop drinking milk or drinks that contain milk.
- 2 hours before the procedure – stop drinking clear liquids.
General instructions
- Plan to have someone take you home from the hospital or clinic.
- If you will be going home right after the procedure, plan to have someone with you for 24 hours.
What happens during the procedure?
- To
lower your risk of infection:
- Your health care team will wash or sanitize their hands.
- Your skin will be washed with soap.
- An IV tube will be inserted into one of your veins.
- You
will be given a medicine (local anesthetic) to numb your mouth,
nose, throat, and voice box (larynx). You may also be given one or more of
the following:
- A medicine to help you relax (sedative).
- A medicine to control coughing.
- A medicine to dry up any fluids in your lungs (secretions).
- A bronchoscope will be passed into your nose or mouth, and into your lungs. Your health care provider will examine your lungs.
- Samples of airway secretions may be collected for testing.
- If abnormal areas are seen in your airways, tissue samples may be removed for examination under a microscope (biopsy).
- If tissue samples are needed from the outer parts of the lung, a type of X-ray (fluoroscopy) may be used to guide the bronchoscope to these areas.
- If bleeding occurs, you may be given medicine to stop or decrease the bleeding.
The procedure may vary among health care providers and hospitals.
What happens after the procedure?
- Do notdrive for 24 hours if you were given a sedative.
- Your blood pressure, heart rate, breathing rate, and blood oxygen level will be monitored until the medicines you were given have worn off.
- You may have a chest X-ray to check for signs of pneumothorax.
- You will notbe allowed to eat or drink anything for 2 hours after your procedure.
- If a biopsy was taken, it is up to you to get the results of your procedure. Ask your health care provider, or the department that is doing the procedure, when your results will be ready.
Summary
- Flexible bronchoscopy is a procedure that allows your health care provider to look closely at your lungs from the inside and take testing (diagnostic) samples if needed.
- Risks of flexible bronchoscopy include bleeding, infection, and pneumothorax.
- Before a flexible bronchoscopy, you will be given a medicine (local anesthetic) to numb your mouth, nose, throat, and voice box (larynx). Then, a bronchoscope will be passed into your nose or mouth, and into your lungs.
- After the procedure, your blood pressure, heart rate, breathing rate, and blood oxygen level will be monitored until the medicines you were given have worn off. You may have a chest X-ray to check for signs of pneumothorax.
- You will not be allowed to eat or drink anything for 2 hours after your procedure.
Flexible Bronchoscopy, Care After
This sheet gives you information about how to care for yourself after your test. Your doctor may also give you more specific instructions. If you have problems or questions, contact your doctor.
Follow these instructions at home:
Eating and drinking
- Do noteat or drink anything (not even water) for 2 hours after your test, or until your numbing medicine (local anesthetic) wears off.
- When
your numbness is gone and your cough and gag reflexes have come back, you
may:
- Eat only soft foods.
- Slowly drink liquids.
- The day after the test, go back to your normal diet.
Driving
- Do notdrive for 24 hours if you were given a medicine to help you relax (sedative).
- Do notdrive or use heavy machinery while taking prescription pain medicine.
General instructions
- Take over-the-counter and prescription medicines only as told by your doctor.
- Return to your normal activities as told. Ask what activities are safe for you.
- Do notuse any products that have nicotine or tobacco in them. This includes cigarettes and e-cigarettes. If you need help quitting, ask your doctor.
Keep all follow-up visits as told by your doctor. This is important. It is very important if you had a tissue sample (biopsy) taken.
Get help right away if:
- You have shortness of breath that gets worse.
- You get light-headed.
- You feel like you are going to pass out (faint).
- You have chest pain.
- You
cough up:
- More than a little blood.
- More blood than before.
Summary
- Do not eat or drink anything (not even water) for 2 hours after your test, or until your numbing medicine wears off.
- Do not use cigarettes. Do notuse e-cigarettes.
- Get help right away if you have chest pain.
