It is a routine procedure done by pulmonologist usually done as a day care setting.
An instrument called bronchoscope has a camera at the distal end. This is passed either through nose or mouth to reach the lungs.
Patient is given local Anesthesia and mild sedation to keep them comfortable.
The procedure is done to diagnose conditions like lung infections where fluid from the lung is aspirated, or biopsies taken in case of lung mass or in some cases of ILDs.
Therapeutic lung lavage is done in cases of lung collapse due to mucus plugging or in cases of pulmonary alveolar protienosis.
Other therapeutic indications are foreign body removal, tracheal dilation, tumour extraction, stent insertion.
On the day of procedure, you will be asked to visit the hospital empty stomach, a nurse or health care attendant will make you go through the procedure once. Once you are on table, an IV line, monitors for you oxygen, pulse and BP monitoring will be attached. You will be given mild sedation. The procedure usually lasts for a few minutes to an hour you will be asked to stay for a couple of hours for monitoring. The samples collected will be sent to the laboratory for investigtaions. You will then be sent home with your accompanying person.
The complications of this procedure are usually nil, there is less than 1% chance of heavy bleeding.
Other complications of less than 1% again may be breathlessness, pnuemothorax, pulmonary edema.
The patient is asked to follow up later once investigations report are back from the laboratory.
