A bronchoscopy is a procedure that is typically performed on patients that suffer from lung complications. Bleeding in the lungs, lung disease, lung cancer, chronic cough and airway problems are the most common complications that usually call for such a procedure.

When other tests such as CT scans or chest X-rays show complications and problems with the lungs, a bronchoscopy is used to take tissue samples to make further diagnoses. For therapeutic purposes, this procedure may also be performed for the removal of foreign objects blocking the airways. Generally, the two types of bronchoscopy procedures are either rigid or flexible, with rigid being used mostly for removing foreign objects and flexible for observing and probing.

Procedure information
During the bronchoscopy the doctor is able to view the airways by using an instrument called a bronchoscope. The doctor inserts the bronchoscope through the mouth or nose and down through the trachea and bronchus for a thorough examination. Should the doctor discover any abnormalities, they can obtain a specimen using forceps, needles and a brush.

To prevent the view from being obstructed, doctors give patients antisecretory medications before the bronchoscopy procedure. Morphine, Atropine or Roxanol are usually administered 30 minutes before the procedure. Because these drugs are sedatives, the gag reflex is temporarily disabled for the duration of the procedure.

Recovery time
Patients usually remain under a short period of observation after a bronchoscopy procedure. Nurses observe patients in 15-minute intervals for up to four hours. If there are any complications post-procedure, they usually occur immediately after the procedure.

Because the gag reflex is temporarily interrupted from the antisecretory drugs, patients are also monitored until it has begun functioning again. Although there is little risk involved in the procedure, the most common complications after a bronchoscopy are excessive bleeding or heart and blood vessel problems.