Bronchoscopy

Bronchoscopy happens to be a procedure that lets medical practitioners look into the lungs and air passages. The procedure is usually performed by doctors who specialise in lung disorders, such as a pulmonologist. As far as the bronchoscopy procedure is concerned, a thin tube called a bronchoscope is passed through either the nose or mouth down to the throat and into the lungs.

The procedure is usually performed through a flexible bronchoscope, but there may be cases where there is a lot of bleeding in the lungs or a large object is stuck in the airway, and that’s when a rigid bronchoscope may be required. Some of the most common reasons why bronchoscopy is required are persistent cough or an infection or something unusual seen on a chest X-ray or any other test that has been recommended by the doctor.

Notably, this procedure can also be used to get samples of tissue as well as mucus, remove any foreign body or any sort of blockage from the lungs or the airway, or to provide treatment to eradicate lung issues. There would be at times procedures where special devices may get passed along with the bronchoscope, like a tool to get biopsy or an electrocautery probe in order to control the bleeding or even a laser to lessen the size of an airway tumor. Specialised techniques are also used for the collection of biopsies, just to ensure that the desired part of the lung is sampled.