EBUS can also be used to obtain a sample from lymph nodes that are adjacent to the airways.
These include radial EBUS bronchosopy, robotic assisted bronchoscopy, narrowband imagery, and high magnification video bronchoscopy.
There are two types of bronchoscopy.
Illustration by Emily Roberts, Verywell
In that case, a patient must be under general anesthesia in an operating room.
Which one your healthcare provider opts for will depend on the purpose of the test and your overall condition.
Risks and Contraindications
Most people tolerate both types of bronchoscopy quite well.
These are patients who have:
Inspection of the airways is safe in these patients, however.
Before the Test
Bronchoscopy is a common test in pulmonology.
That said, it might be all new to you.
Knowing a little more about it can help you slide in your test confidently.
Typically, though, a bronchoscopy itself takes between 30 minutes and 60 minutes.
Ask your healthcare provider for an estimate of how long the procedure is likely to last in your case.
Location
Bronchoscopy is done in a hospital.
A flexible bronchoscopy may be done in a special procedure suite.
A rigid bronchoscopy is performed in an operating room.
In some cases, the procedure may take place in an intensive care unit of a hospital.
You also may need to remove dentures, bridges, hearing aids, contact lenses, or eyeglasses.
Food and Drink
You should not eat or drink anything for six to 12 hours beforehand.
Be upfront with your healthcare provider about everything you take and follow her advice accordingly.
What to Bring
Your healthcare provider will instruct you as to what you should bring.
This likely will include your health insurance card and personal identification (typically a driver’s license).
You will also need to bring along someone who can drive you home.
Other Considerations
confirm you have a reliable ride to and from the hospital on the day of the procedure.
(In rare cases, a patient may need to stay in the hospital overnight.)
Be prepared to rest the day after.
In general, here’s what it’s possible for you to expect.
Pre-Test
When you arrive at the hospital, there may be paperwork to complete.
You’ll then be escorted to a table or hospital bed and asked to lie down.
Once there, a nurse will place an IV (intravenous) line into your arm.
A local anesthetic will be used to relax and numb your throat or nose before the bronchoscope is inserted.
This is all to prevent you from gagging.
As the tube moves through your windpipe, you may feel a slight sensation of pressure or tugging.
Saliva will be suctioned from your mouth as it accumulates.
What the healthcare provider does once the bronchoscope is in will depend on the extent of the procedure.
He also may have you hold your breath for short periods of time.
Once all procedures associated with the bronchoscopy are complete, the tube is gently withdrawn.
If you’re receiving anesthesia, it will be stopped.
You will be taken to a recovery room.
Post-Test
What happens after your bronchoscopy will depend in part on what jot down you had.
After a flexible bronchoscopy, you may continue to feel drowsy as the effects of sedation wear off.
You also may have a headache or feel nauseous.
You will be monitored until you’re alert and recovered enough to go home.
A pulse oximeter will be clipped onto your finger to measure the oxygen levels in your blood.
Your blood pressure will be checked with arm cuff every 15 minutes or so.
If you have general anesthesia for a rigid bronchoscopy, you will wake up in the recovery room.
You may also feel cold and shivery until the effect of the anesthesia wears off.
This can take several hours; don’t be shy about asking for extra blankets.
A nurse will monitor you during this time.
Two that are related and likely to linger for a few days are a sore throat andhoarseness.
Your throat is bound to be tender after having a tube of any size threaded through it.
You may even experience mild bleeding at the site of a biopsy, if taken.
The bang out of test will depend on the nature of the finding, of course.
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