Flexible bronchoscopy is the most widely used procedure in respiratory medicine. A thin, steerable tube with a camera at its tip is passed through the nose or mouth into the airways, allowing them to be inspected directly and samples taken from precisely the right place. Bronchoscopy in Rewari is performed at Vaayu Care by Dr. Ajit Yadav as a day-case procedure.
Why it is done
Bronchoscopy answers questions that scans and blood tests cannot. It is used to investigate:
- A cough that has persisted despite treatment
- Haemoptysis — coughing up blood — to find the bleeding point
- An abnormal shadow, mass or collapsed segment on chest X-ray or CT
- Suspected lung cancer, to obtain tissue for diagnosis and molecular testing
- Suspected tuberculosis where sputum tests are negative or the patient cannot produce sputum — a very common and important indication
- Unexplained infection, particularly in patients with reduced immunity
- Interstitial lung disease, through lavage and biopsy
- Narrowing of an airway, to assess its cause and extent
It is also therapeutic: clearing thick secretions or mucus plugs causing collapse, removing blood clots, retrieving inhaled foreign bodies, and controlling bleeding.
What samples can be taken
- Bronchial washing and brushing for cells and organisms
- Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) — saline instilled into a segment and retrieved, giving cells and organisms from deep within the lung; central in diagnosing infection and ILD
- Endobronchial biopsy from a visible abnormality in the airway
- Transbronchial lung biopsy through the airway wall into lung tissue
- Needle aspiration of nodes or masses adjacent to the airway; where lymph nodes must be sampled systematically, EBUS is the better tool
Samples go for cytology, histopathology, culture, and rapid molecular testing for TB and resistance where relevant.
How the procedure is done
You will be asked not to eat for around six hours beforehand; sips of water are usually allowed up to two hours before. Blood thinners may need adjusting, so bring a complete list of your medicines. Tell the clinic about heart or lung disease, allergies, and whether you are or might be pregnant.
Local anaesthetic is applied to the nose and throat, and sedation given through a vein so that you are drowsy and comfortable. Oxygen levels, heart rate and blood pressure are monitored throughout. The bronchoscope is passed through the nose or mouth, past the vocal cords, into the trachea and then along the bronchi on both sides. The airways are inspected systematically and samples taken as required.
Most diagnostic procedures take fifteen to thirty minutes.
After the procedure
You will be observed until the sedation wears off, usually an hour or two. Because your throat is numb, you must not eat or drink for about two hours — until sensation has fully returned and you can swallow safely.
Expect a mildly sore throat, hoarseness and a small amount of blood-streaked sputum for a day or so; all are normal. Do not drive, operate machinery or sign anything important for twenty-four hours after sedation, and arrange for someone to take you home.
Contact the clinic urgently if you cough up more than a small amount of blood, become significantly breathless, develop chest pain, or run a fever above 38°C in the days afterwards.
Results from washings and cultures take a few days; histopathology and TB culture take longer. Findings are explained at your follow-up visit.
Risks
Flexible bronchoscopy is a safe, well-established procedure, and serious complications are uncommon. Minor bleeding from a biopsy site is the most frequent and usually stops on its own. A temporary drop in oxygen during the procedure is managed with supplemental oxygen. There is a small risk of pneumothorax (lung collapse) specifically after transbronchial biopsy, which is checked for. Fever for a day afterwards occurs occasionally. Reactions to sedation are rare and monitored for throughout.
The specific risks that apply to you, and the alternatives, are explained before you give consent.
Booking a bronchoscopy in Rewari
Bronchoscopy is arranged after a consultation, once your history, examination and imaging have been reviewed and the question the procedure needs to answer is clear. Bring all previous CT and X-ray films, reports, and a list of your medicines.
Book an appointment at Vaayu Care, Rewari, or call the clinic to discuss whether bronchoscopy is appropriate for you.
How a bronchoscopy is done, step by step
You arrive having eaten nothing for about six hours. The nose and throat are numbed with a spray or gel, a drip is placed, and light sedation is given through it. The scope — thinner than a little finger — passes through the nose or mouth, down past the vocal cords and into the airways. You keep breathing normally the whole time; oxygen levels, pulse and blood pressure are watched on a monitor.
The doctor looks along the main airways, then takes whatever samples the case needs: washings, brushings, a needle sample of a gland, or small pieces of tissue. Taking samples is not painful, because the inside of the airway has no pain sensation. The diagnostic part usually takes fifteen to thirty minutes, followed by an hour or two of observation before you go home. Because of the sedation you must not drive for 24 hours, so bring someone with you.
What a bronchoscopy costs
The fee depends on what is actually done — a look and washings alone cost less than a procedure with biopsies, a needle sample or specimens sent for culture, molecular TB testing or cancer marker studies, and laboratory charges are separate. The full amount is explained after the consultation, once the plan is clear, so nothing is a surprise. Call 8563816000 for the current charge, or ask at your visit.
Frequently asked questions
Is bronchoscopy painful?
It is not painful. Local anaesthetic numbs the nose and throat and sedation is given through a vein, so most patients are drowsy throughout and remember little of it. You may feel pressure and an urge to cough as the scope passes the vocal cords. Breathing continues normally throughout — the scope is far narrower than the airway.
How long does it take and will I be admitted?
A diagnostic bronchoscopy usually takes fifteen to thirty minutes, with an hour or two of observation afterwards. It is normally a day-case procedure, so you go home the same day. Bring someone with you, as you must not drive for twenty-four hours after sedation.
When can I eat after bronchoscopy?
About two hours afterwards, once the throat anaesthetic has fully worn off and you can swallow safely. Eating or drinking while the throat is still numb risks food or fluid entering the airway. Start with sips of water and progress to soft food if that goes down comfortably.
Is it safe to have bronchoscopy if I have TB?
Yes, and it is often exactly how TB is diagnosed when sputum tests are negative or the patient cannot produce sputum. Lavage and biopsy obtain a sample directly from the affected part of the lung, which markedly improves the diagnostic yield. Appropriate infection-control precautions are taken during and after the procedure.
What is the difference between bronchoscopy and EBUS?
Standard flexible bronchoscopy inspects the inside of the airways and samples what can be seen or reached through the airway wall. EBUS adds an ultrasound probe, allowing lymph nodes and masses lying outside the airway to be seen and sampled with a needle under real-time guidance. EBUS is the tool of choice for staging lung cancer.
How much does a bronchoscopy cost in Rewari?
It depends on what is done — a diagnostic look with washings is the least; biopsies, needle samples and laboratory tests such as culture, molecular TB testing or cancer studies are charged on top. You are told the full amount after the consultation, before the date is fixed. Call 8563816000 to ask.
Is a bronchoscopy done under general anaesthesia?
A flexible bronchoscopy is not. The nose and throat are numbed and light sedation is given through a drip, so most people remember very little but breathe on their own throughout. General anaesthesia is used for rigid bronchoscopy, which is a different procedure.