Bronchoscopy
A bronchoscopy is a procedure in which a thin, flexible or
rigid (hard) scope is passed through your child’s mouth to allow
visualization/examination of the
airways that lead to your lungs.
Indications for Bronchoscopy:
·
Evaluation
of the airway due to
o
noisy
breathing or hoarseness
o
identify
airway deformity, fistula, lesion
·
Identify
and remove a foreign body in the airway or lung
·
Obtain
cultures: test for infection
·
Obtain
biopsy: sample of the airway tissue to help diagnose a problem
·
Airway
evaluation in patients with a tracheostomy tube
Risks/Benefits:
The benefits of the procedure is that it
will help your health care provider diagnose and treat your child’s
problem. It may relieve your
child’s symptoms if he/she has extra tissue or a foreign body in his/her
airway.
The risks
include the risk of general anesthesia. There is a very small risk of
a complication occurring as the result of anesthesia. However, every precaution is taken to
ensure the safety of your child. If the rigid scope is used,
an injury to a tooth or teeth may occur.
This is much less common with the flexible bronchoscopes. Throat swelling may occur which will
usually respond well to medications if necessary. There is also a small risk of infection
and bleeding.
SO MY CHILD NEEDS THIS
PROCEDURE/ SURGERY, WHAT IS THE
·
Choose the date. Each surgeon
operates on one or two scheduled days.
You can pick the date you would like during your appointment with us, or
just give us a call.
·
A preoperative tour is available for you and your child if you are
interested. We strongly recommend taking advantage of this tour. During the tour, your child will meet
with a Child Life Specialist (if age appropriate) who will help prepare your
child for surgery using age appropriate play and descriptions. You will
also meet with a pediatric anesthesiologist and pediatric nurse. To schedule an appointment, please call
688-7996.
·
All the appropriate paper work will be completed during your visit
with us, and in most cases, there is no need for further preoperative physicals
or paperwork prior to the surgery.
The Day before the procedure:
You will be
contacted by the Operating Room scheduling staff the afternoon of the day before
your child’ s procedure to inform you of the time your child is
scheduled.
Your child
may have anything to eat or drink up until
THE
The surgery is preformed in the Pediatric Operating Room at
Yale. This is located on the 3rd
floor of the Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital. You may valet park your car & it will
be stamped at the end of the day by the OR/PACU staff.
Procedure:
The
procedure will take approximately 15-40 minutes. Your child will be given general
anesthesia, which means he/she will be asleep completely for the
procedure. General anesthetic
relaxes your muscles, puts you to sleep, and prevents you from feeling
pain. He/she may receive an
intravenous line “I.V.” in order to receive medication and fluids
during the surgery. Your doctor
will pass a tube into your child’s mouth or nose, then throat, down the
windpipe, and into the lungs. If your doctor finds growths, sores, or other
unhealthy tissue or cells, he or she may remove them or take a sample. If an object or foreign body is found,
it is usually removed.
Post-Procedure
instructions:
Following the procedure, your child will go
to the pediatric Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU). You can be with your child at this
time. Some children are disoriented
and upset as they come out of the anesthesia. This is normal. Your child may feel a slight sore throat
or have a hoarse voice when he/she wakes up. For the sore throat and hoarseness,
lozenges or soothing gargles may be helpful (for children over 3 years).
Depending on what was done during the bronchoscopy, your child may be observed
for a brief period of time or stay many hours in the recovery room or overnight
in the hospital. Your child may
complain of a sore neck or jaw as the result of positioning during the
procedure. He or she may also cough
a lot, this is normal. Your child
will be ready to go home once they are drinking and acting like themselves
again. This usually takes an hour
or two.
Follow-up appointments and recommendations
will be given to you on the day of the procedure.
When
to call?
If you have a concern at all, please contact our office at 203-245-0496.
Call our office if your child develops a fever.
SEEK
EMERGENCY
Your child has shortness
of breath.
Your child is coughing
up blood.
Your child has new or increased
wheezing.