How A Bronchoscopy Works

If you have problems with your lungs, a doctor might recommend you go through bronchoscopy. A bronchoscope is an instrument that can be inserted into your body via oral or nasal cavities depending on what the physician wants to get a good look at. The tool includes a light and a camera and can be inserted with brushes or other attachments that will help collect tissue or fluid samples from the lungs.

A patient might become a candidate because of blood in the sputum, excessive coughing, an abnomral chest x-ray or an investigation of a possible lung infection according to www.medicinenet.com. Doctors may use it to remove something blocking an airway or to reopen a collapsed tube.

If you find yourself having to through this procedure, the hospital will apply one or two types of anesthetics. If the tool will be inserted through the nose, the doctor will use numbing jelly to doll the pain or if it goes in through the mouth, the patient will be put under generalized anesthesia. Once the bronchoscope which can measure up to two. The tool itself can come in two forms - soft and rigid. The soft form is used more often because its the flexible version is more comfortable, does not require the patient to be put under, and can go into smaller passageways. The rigid version may be used when there is a fear of bleeding in the airways obstructing the view of the smaller bronchoscope.

The operator, usually a pulmonologist or a thoracic surgeon, will guide the instrument through the larynx, trachea and airways to get a better view. The procedure may be ordered by a doctor to diagnose problems with the lungs or remove something obstructing the passageways. Complications of the procedure are rare but can include nosebleeds, damage to the vocal chords, and other breathing related problems.

Patients who find themselves undergoing a bronchoscopy will often be asked to sign a consent form before undergoing the procedure. They should not drink from 8 to 10 hours prior to undergoing the procedure and should find a way home that does not involve them getting behind the wheel. Before undergoing bronchoscopy, it is important for the patient to tell his or her doctor about any medications he or she is taking. Even in areas without official public transportation, medical vans run by the county you live in can help. Special programs may be set up for the elderly where you live. The best place to look is in the blue pages of your phone book.

Sources:

http://www.medicinenet.com/bronchoscopy/page2.htm

"Scope Spots Lung Problems." Amanda Keister. July 31, 2007. The Daily Item. Sunbury, PA 17801

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003857.htm