Thoracic Endoscopy Bronchoscopy

Thoracic endoscopy is a diagnostic procedure that allows access to the upper airways, from the larynx to the trachea to the segmental bronchi, through the use of bronchoscopes, both for diagnostic purposes – including the collection of samples for laboratory analysis – and therapeutic purposes.

Why Undergo Bronchoscopy?

Flexible bronchoscopy is recommended for patients who require evaluation:

• Preoperatively, in cases of lung resection
• Intraoperatively, to control the correct positioning of tubes for selective bronchial ventilation or the site of bronchial resection
• For suspected lesions of the tracheobronchial tree
• For lung or esophageal tumors (for possible tracheal or bronchial infiltration)

For therapeutic purposes, it is used for:

• Bronchial decongestion, in cases of suppurative diseases or in the presence of mucous plugs
• Instillation of drugs (antibiotics, silver nitrate, etc.)
• Endobronchial tamponade with Fogarty balloon, in case of bronchial bleeding

Rigid/operative bronchoscopy is performed solely for therapeutic purposes, including:

• Endoscopic resections
• Hemostasis control
• Removal of foreign bodies
• Resections of neoplastic lesions with laser fibers for palliative purposes