Navigational Bronchoscopy

Navigational bronchoscopy

A navigational bronchoscopy is a procedure during which a narrow tube (a bronchoscope) is passed through your mouth and down into your large airways. This is so the doctor can take biopsies from areas of your lung.

Navigational bronchoscopies are done under a general anaesthetic so you will be asleep. They are generally done as a daycase procedure so you shouldn’t need to stay in hospital overnight.

What are the risks

You may have a sore throat after this procedure and you may cough up a little blood but this should stop after a few days. Problems after a navigational bronchoscopy are rare, but can include:

• Chest pain
• Increasing difficulty in breathing
• Coughing up large amount of blood (more than a tablespoon)
• High temperature.

Before coming for surgery

Once the Thoracic Service in Leeds have been given your details the Thoracic Admission Team will contact you to let you know the date of your procedure and your admission details. You will then be contacted by the Pre-Assessment Team with the details of your pre-assessment appointment.

On the day of surgery

If you feel unwell when you are due to come into hospital, or you are unable to keep your appointment, please telephone the Thoracic Admission Team.

Please have a bath or shower on the morning of your surgery to make sure your skin is clean. This reduces the risk of infection. Remove all make-up, nail varnish and skin lotions. This helps us to monitor your skin colour and oxygen levels during the procedure. Remove your jewellery and leave it at home for safekeeping. If you have jewellery that cannot be removed, please tell us so we can put tape on them before the procedure so the jewellery does not interfere with the equipment

Fasting

You may eat and drink up to midnight the day before procedure. From midnight you can drink water up until 6:00am. After 6:00am please do not eat or drink.

Tablets/medication

If you take medication to thin your blood the Pre-Assessment Team will have advised you if and when you need to stop taking it. If you take medication for diabetes you must not take this on the morning of your procedure.

What to bring with you

You are advised to bring in all the medicines that you are currently taking. As well as oral medicines (e.g. tablets, capsules, liquids), please bring any inhalers, sprays, patches, creams/ointments, eye/ear/nose drops, or injections that you use.

We also suggest you bring an overnight bag with you just in case you have to stay in hospital. It should include:

• toiletries
• nightwear
• dressing gown and slippers
• small change
• reading material

Please do not bring valuables or large amounts of money into hospital.
Your admission letter will ask you to arrive at 7:00am. You will be seen by the surgical team who will ask you to sign a consent form and you will also be seen by the anaesthetist. This is an opportunity for you to ask any questions you have about the procedure or your anaesthetic.

The nurses will get you ready for surgery. This includes checking your blood pressure, temperature and pulse. You will also be asked to put on a theatre gown.
You must remove contact lenses, but you can wear your glasses, hearing aid, dentures or wig to the anaesthetic room. Long hair must be tied back but avoid using metal clips.

The procedure

When the team are ready you will be taken to theatre. You will be given a general anaesthetic and the procedure will be carried out.

Going home

Provided you are fully recovered you should be able to go home the same day. As you have had a general anaesthetic you cannot go home on public transport or drive, so it is important that you have someone that can take you home. You will need to have someone stay with you that night. If you do not have anyone to stay with you please tell the Thoracic Admission Team who will arrange for you to stay in hospital overnight.

Once home, it is important that you rest quietly for the rest of the day. You must not drive a car, operate machinery, drink alcohol or sign legal documents for the first 24 hours. You can resume normal activities the following day but it is advisable to take the next day off work.

Biopsy Results

Once your biopsy results are available the local multi-disciplinary team (MDT) will contact you to let you know what the next steps are.

Contacting us

St James’s Hospital: