Your doctor may recommend a bronchoscopy for the following reasons:
Diagnose airway and lung abnormalities
If you have a chronic cough or you are coughing up blood, your doctor can perform a bronchoscopy to view the inside of your airways and evaluate your lung symptoms.
Your doctor may also use bronchoscopy to investigate:
When lung abnormalities are suspected, your doctor may use bronchoscopy to collect tissue samples from inside the lungs.
This collection may be done through a:
Biopsy
Bronchoalveolar lavage
Provide therapy
Bronchoscopy also has therapeutic purposes. For example, it can be used to:
Remove obstructions in your airways, such as fluid, mucus or foreign objects
Insert a stent (hollow wire mesh tube) to widen narrowed airways
Assist laser tumour removal
What are the risks and complications of a bronchoscopy?
Bronchoscopy is generally considered safe and effective. This is especially the case with flexible bronchoscopy, which is the most common type of procedure.
Like all surgical procedures, however, there are some general risks, such as:
Before performing a bronchoscopy, your specialist will:
Discuss the procedure, risks involved and expected findings
Ask you to sign a consent form
If you are on any blood-thinning medications, such as aspirin, clopidogrel (Plavix) or warfarin (Coumadin), you may be asked to discontinue these for a period of time before the test.
In addition, you will be asked to fast (no eating or drinking) for 4 – 6 hours before your bronchoscopy.
What can you expect during a bronchoscopy?
During the procedure, a bronchoscope is used. A bronchoscope is a thin, tube-like scope that can be rigid or flexible.
The scope is inserted into the airways through the nose or mouth.
The procedure does not require general anaesthesia and is usually done using conscious sedation so that you are sleepy and relaxed.
Care and recovery after a bronchoscopy
After your bronchoscopy, you will be monitored for 2 – 4 hours in the recovery area. During this period, your throat may be irritated and you may continue to feel groggy because of the sedatives administered to you. After 2 – 3 hours, you should be able to eat and drink.
As the effects of the medications can last for several hours, it is important that you are accompanied by someone who can take you home.
You may cough up small amounts of stale blood for a day or two.
Why choose Mount Elizabeth Hospitals?
Mount Elizabeth Hospital and Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital are award-winning hospitals that are established in Singapore and the region.
Equipped with modern facilities and a team of experienced respiratory specialists, we take pride in delivering care and treatment, including procedures such as bronchoscopy.
Estimated cost
Private healthcare can be affordable. Use our Hospital Bill Estimator to determine the estimated cost of this procedure. If you have hospital insurance, find out how you can use your insurance.
Our respiratory specialists
Mount Elizabeth Hospitals' team of pulmonologists and lung doctors have expertise in a wide range of respiratory conditions and services. This includes bronchoscopy and other procedures that help restore our patients to a good quality of life.
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