Bronchoscopy

bronchoscopy · lung scope · airway camera test

The doctor looks inside your airways with a thin flexible tube with a camera. It goes in through the nose or mouth. Samples can be taken from the airways.

For a long-lasting cough, blood in your phlegm, changes on a lung scan, to find the cause of frequent infections, or to clear out mucus.

⏱ Duration: usually 15 to 30 minutes, plus 1 to 2 hours of observation afterwards

Be sure to tell your doctor

Blood thinners. The doctor will tell you if anything needs to change
Allergy to numbing medicines, especially lidocaine
Asthma, heart disease, or diabetes
If you are pregnant
If you want to be asleep, ask whether sedation is offered

How to prepare

Food. Usually no food for 6 to 8 hours, and no drinks for 2 to 4 hours before. Your clinic will give you the exact times.
Medicines. Morning medicines are usually taken with a sip of water. If you take blood thinners or diabetes medicines, tell your doctor, who will decide.
Smoking. Do not smoke on the day of the procedure.
Before you go in. Take out removable dentures, and take off glasses and jewelry.

What to bring

Your referral
Your lung X-rays and CT scans: the disc and the report
Your inhaler, if you have asthma
Someone to go with you, if you are having sedation

How it goes

An IV is put into a vein, and a sensor is put on your finger
Your throat and nose are sprayed with numbing medicine. Your tongue and throat go numb
If you have sedation, you get medicine and fall asleep
The doctor passes the tube through your nose or mouth and looks at the airways
If needed, a tissue sample is taken or an airway is rinsed
The tube is removed, and you are watched for 1 to 2 hours

What you'll feel

Without sedation: an urge to cough and a lump feeling in the throat
You can breathe. The tube is thin and does not block the air
With sedation, you usually remember nothing

Afterwards

Do not eat or drink for about 2 hours, until your throat is no longer numb. You could choke
A scratchy throat, hoarseness, and cough pass in 1 to 2 days
A little blood in your phlegm can happen in the first 24 hours after a biopsy
After sedation, do not drive for the rest of the day
Biopsy results usually come in 1 to 2 weeks

Contact a doctor straight away if

Shortness of breath or chest pain that gets worse: see a doctor right away or call emergency services
Coughing up a lot of blood, not just streaks
Fever above 38 degrees for more than 24 hours

Common questions

Can I breathe during bronchoscopy?

Yes. The tube is thin, and air passes around it. Breathe calmly through your nose.

Is bronchoscopy done under anesthesia?

It is often done with sedation: you doze and do not remember the procedure. Check with your clinic.