During a bronchoscopic lung biopsy, the doctor collects the lung tissue with an instrument, the bronchoscope, introduced by the nose or mouth.
The bronchoscope is basically a very thin tube, rather flexible and equipped with a fiber optic camera for orientation inside the pulmonary airways (in particular the bronchi) and for viewing suspicious areas to be taken.
The bronchoscopic lung biopsy is usually performed by a doctor specialized in pneumology, it requires the use of a local anesthetic administered by spray and can last from 30 to 60 minutes.
Moreover, it does not foresee any hospitalization, but only an observation period lasting about a couple of hours; in this period of time, the patient is generally subjected to a chest X-ray which serves to detect any damage created by the passage of the bronchoscope.
At the end of the procedure and for several hours, the patient is likely to experience various discomforts including: dry throat, hoarseness, sore throat and difficulty swallowing.
Regarding the disadvantages of the procedure, the bronchoscopic lung biopsy allows to collect a sample of tissue of limited size and belonging only to the airways.
