Flexible bronchoscopy is a medical test to examine or treat a person’s lungs using a thin tube called a bronchoscope. The patient is usually awake, but local anesthetic is given to numb the airways. The procedure can diagnose lung cancer, drain an abscess, or widen a narrow airway. There is no risk of suffocation, but patients may experience a sore throat and coughing. Serious problems include pneumonia or a collapsed lung.
A flexible bronchoscopy is a type of medical test done to examine a person’s lungs. In some cases, the procedure may be done to treat a person or to take a sample from the lungs. Unlike a rigid bronchoscopy, the patient is usually awake during a flexible bronchoscopy. The procedure is done using a thin tube called a bronchoscope with a small camera on one end.
Although the patient is usually awake during a flexible bronchoscopy, a local anesthetic is usually given to numb the airways before the endoscope is inserted. Your doctor may spray your mouth and nose with anesthetic, which can be uncomfortable at first and cause a cough. In some cases, a patient may also be given intravenous medication to help her calm down.
After the patient’s airways are numb, the doctor will insert the bronchoscope. The flexible bronchoscope can be threaded through the mouth or nose, into the airways and lungs. During flexible bronchoscopy, your doctor may flush your lungs with a saline solution.
Lung washing helps your doctor collect samples of your lung cells or any fluid in your lungs. If an object blocks the airway, bronchoscopy will remove the foreign object. A rigid rather than a flexible bronchoscopy will be needed if the object is on the large side or if there is excessive bleeding into the airways and lungs. While a flexible bronchoscopy can be done as an outpatient procedure, rigid bronchoscopy requires general anesthesia and is done in a hospital.
A patient with a narrow airway may undergo flexible bronchoscopy so that the doctor can place a stent in the windpipe to widen it. The procedure may also be done to drain an abscess or diagnose an infection such as tuberculosis. It can also diagnose lung cancer.
During the procedure, a patient may feel that they have difficulty breathing with the endoscope in their airway. Although unpleasant, there is no risk of suffocation during a bronchoscopy. A patient will not be able to cough for a few hours after the test and should not eat until she can cough again. Usually, the throat is sore for several days after the procedure.
Most patients undergo flexible bronchoscopy with few or no problems. In some cases, a patient may get an infection or experience bleeding after it is done. More serious problems include pneumonia or a collapsed lung, which needs to be treated right away.
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