Patient information:

Dr Kennedy can arrange for this procedure in Auckland or Whangārei.

Before and during the procedure:
You will be asked not to eat anything for 6 hours before and not to take any of your medications on the day of the procedure. Aspirin, Clopidogrel, Ticagrelor, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, omega-3 and Warfarin, Dabigatran and other blood thinners will need to be withheld up to 1 week prior to the bronchoscopy.

Bronchoscopy is usually undertaken under combined local anaesthetic spray and sedation. You will be given medicine to make you sleepy and relaxed.  Oxygen is given during the procedure and the oxygen level in the blood and heart rate are monitored.  Nursing staff help before, during and after the procedure.

During this test a thin fibre optic tube is passed through the mouth and over your tongue, through the vocal cords and into your breathing tubes.  This allows a good view of the bronchial tubes and the ability to take a biopsy (remove cells or tissue) to see if a diagnosis of your condition can be made.  Both sides are carefully inspected.  If tissue that looks unusual is seen, biopsies are taken with a fine set of forceps which fit inside the bronchoscope.  Washings are often taken, and they are sent for cytology and/or culture for various organisms, when appropriate.

After the procedure:

You will stay in the day stay unit until the sedation has worn off, which usually takes 1 - 1.5 hours.  Eating or drinking before the anaesthetic has worn off can result in food or fluids going down into the breathing tubes instead of the swallowing tube (or oesophagus). You will be given something to eat and drink before you go home.  If you have been sedated, you will not be able to drive until the following day.  You need someone to drive you home and keep an eye on you until the following day.

If biopsies are taken, these will be sent for analysis and results are usually available within 1 week.  A report and copy of these biopsy results and the bronchoscopy report are sent to your GP.  You will need to be followed up in the clinic with Dr Kennedy 1-2 weeks later, to discuss the results of the bronchoscopy.