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as it is inserted. These medications can cause a person to forget the events which take place during the procedure.

Before the broncoscope is placed in a person's mouth, a small device known as a pulse oximeter will be attached to the persons finger. This is a small clip which measures the amount of oxygen in your blood. This is done in order to continuously monitor oxygen levels in your blood during the procedure. If you're oxygen levels drop below a safe point, the procedure can be discontinued immediately.

The broncoscope itself is a thin flexible tube containing a fiber-optic camera and lights. (Rarely, a rigid broncoscope is used, but only for very specific reasons which your doctor would explain to your before being used) The tube is snaked into your airways through either your nose or mouth. The tube is then slowly advanced through your throat, past the vocal cords and into the upper airways leading to your lungs. The initial placement of the broncoscope is often the most uncomfortable element of the exam. Once the broncoscope has passed the vocal cords, it will be difficult to speak properly. This can be somewhat disconcerting to some people, however it is temporary and when the broncoscope is removed speech should return to normal immediately.

Bronchoscopy is considered to be a very safe procedure. There are not many complications caused by fiber-optic bronchoscopy. The most common complication due to bronchoscopy is some bleeding. This is particularly common if a small sample of tissue was taken during the exam. It is also possible for the broncoscope itself to make a scratch in the lining of the lung airways, causing a small amount of bleeding. This bleeding is typically not severe, and resolves on its own.

For reasons that are not well understood, some people will experience a fever after having a bronchoscopy done. This does not necessarily mean that a person has an infection. The fever is generally not severe and goes away shortly after the exam is finished. The pulse oximeter will continuously monitor the level of oxygen in a person's blood during the exam. On very rare occasion it is possible for the airways to not conduct enough air during the exam in order to oxygenate your blood completely. This will be spotted immediately by the pulse oximeter, and the doctor can discontinue the study if necessary.

After a bronchoscopy is done, a patient is moved to a recovery area and watched carefully for up to four hours. Although it is not an absolute requirement, some doctors will choose to have a chest x-ray done to look for signs of damage to the lungs. If a person has no complications, and recovers from the sedation, they are typically released to go home that day. It is not advisable for a person to drive themselves home, as the medication used to sedate the person can have lingering effects even after they are sent from hospital.

Of course before someone has a bronchoscopy done, they will have many opportunities to speak to their physician about the examination. Make sure that you ask as many questions as are necessary to make yourself comfortable with the exam.

Learn more about this author, Erich Rosenberger M.D..
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