Bronchoscopy

Before your bronchoscopy

Be sure your doctor knows about any medicines you are taking, including vitamins, herbs, and supplements, as well as if you have allergies to any medicines.

You might be asked to stop taking blood-thinning medicines, including aspirin, for several days before the test to reduce your risk of bleeding. Your doctor might also ask you to adjust or stop other medicines as well, such as those for diabetes. If you normally take prescription medicines in the morning, talk with your doctor or nurse about how to manage them on the day of your test.

You might be asked not to eat or drink anything for several hours before the procedure. Or you might be told to only drink liquids. Your doctor or nurse will give you specific instructions. Be sure to follow them and to ask questions if there’s anything you don’t understand.

Making a transportation plan

Because a sedative is used to help keep you more comfortable during the procedure, you will need to arrange for a ride home after the test. You might be sleepy or dizzy and need someone to help you get safely into your home, so a cab or rideshare service might not be a good option. Some centers will not allow you to use a cab or rideshare after this procedure.

If transportation or help getting home might be a problem, talk with your health care provider. There might be other resources available, depending on the situation.

During your bronchoscopy

Bronchoscopy can usually be done as an outpatient procedure, where you don’t need to stay overnight in a hospital. Your doctor will review the procedure with you and ask you to sign a consent form.

If you wear dentures, you might be asked to remove them. For this test, you change into a hospital gown and lie on your back on a bed or table with your head raised up slightly.

From there:

• Your blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing will be monitored.
• Your mouth, throat, and possibly your nose will be numbed with a spray or liquid.
• You might get a sedative through an intravenous (IV) line to help you relax, or less often, be asleep (under general anesthesia) for the test.
• A plastic mouthpiece might be used to keep your mouth open and protect your teeth.

The scope will be placed through the nose or mouth. If you are awake, the insertion of the scope might make you cough at first. This will stop as the numbing drug begins to work. The scope will then be passed down your throat into your lungs.

The procedure usually takes about 30 minutes, but it might take longer, depending on what’s being done.

After your bronchoscopy

After the procedure, you will be watched closely for any problems. If you had a sedative, you might not remember the procedure.

If you had the procedure as an outpatient, you should be able to go home after a few hours. If you were given a sedative, someone will need to drive you home and stay with you until it wears off. Your doctor or nurse will give you specific instructions to follow after the test, including when to start taking medicines again that might have been stopped for the procedure.

Your mouth and throat will likely be numb afterwards, so you won't be allowed to eat or drink right away. Once the numbness wears off, you might have a sore throat, cough, or hoarseness for a day or so.

If samples were taken, your results are usually ready within a few days, although some might take longer. You will need to follow up with your doctor after the procedure to get your results.

Possible risks of bronchoscopy

Bronchoscopy is usually safe, but there is a small risk of:

Bleeding: If a biopsy or brushing was done, a small amount of bleeding could happen where the doctor removed tissue samples.

Fever: This is common after the procedure as a result of inflammation. It is usually not a sign of infection and might be more common if bronchial washings were done.

Collapse of part of a lung (pneumothorax): This is rare but can happen after a biopsy or from pressure in the airways during the procedure.

Drug reactions: Sometimes the drugs used to help you relax and stay comfortable during the test can cause changes in blood pressure, confusion, dizziness, trouble breathing on your own, or even an allergic reaction. You will be watched closely for any medicine side effects and they will be treated, if needed.

Your doctor might order a chest x-ray after the bronchoscopy to check for pneumothorax or other lung problems, especially if biopsies were taken. Some problems might go away on their own, but if they’re causing symptoms, such as trouble breathing, they might need to be treated.

Before you go home, your doctor or nurse should give you specific instructions on when you might need to call the doctor’s office for problems. In general, these include:

• Coughing up small amounts of blood
• Cough that is persistent
• Fever that doesn’t go away
• Severe sore throat
• Vomiting
• Wheezing that is unusual for you

Call 911 or go to the emergency room if you have:

• Chest pain or pressure that is increasing
• Trouble breathing (new)
• Coughing up large amounts of blood

Be sure you understand what you should watch out for, the possible timing of when problems might occur, and when you should call for problems.