Bronchoscopies

[ladybug]

Hi,

So, I'm wondering what a bronchoscopy entails? Do you feel it? Do you gag when they go in? You're awake, right? I'm terrified of ever having this procedure done. I'd deffinately need Xanax for that one!!! lol

I'm also curious why they don't give routine bronchs to CFers just to open up the airways??? When I was reading the post on collapsed lungs, I noticed many had bronchs done to clear out the blockage... well, the way I see it, we always have all kinds of blockage, so why don't we get it "sucked" out more often? How do they determine its "bad enough" for a bronch? I just find it odd that they have a way of actually going in and taking out all kinds of diseased gunk and they don't do it unless is certain circumstances (which I don't even know what those are).

Thanks-

 

[Joanne]

Sonia,

I never had a bronch pre tx. The reason you don't want these at all, or rarely is that there are risks involved. They could puncture a lung, cross infection could take place, also they do sedate you, I am not sure how much they sedate you when you are pre tx, but it can cause problems. I have one friend who lives in Kansas who had it done, and ended up on a ventilator, and never got off and eventually died. This is rare, but shows it could happen.

What they do is go down your nasal passages, pass your vocal cords and then into your lungs. You will need oxygen afterwards for a short time. There is another option of doing it in the OR and they go down your throat, and you are totally knocked out.

Personally, even when going down your nose, I would want to be knocked out. The instruments look scarey and it feels... not good. Maybe something to relax you would be enough. I have punched doctors, and done all sorts of maneuvers during my bronchs, and now they just take me to OR and knock me out completely. When I have a nasal one, they gave me Versed and a couple other things. Versed is an amnesia med, so you will not remember any of the event.

Again, not sure how they do it pre tx, I am sure it is different.

Joanne Schum

 

[JazzysMom]

Its an invasive procedure & that is why many docs dont do it on a regular basis. During all my problems over the years it wasnt even brought up by my doctor. I will have to ask what the % of usage in my clinic is for them. Just curious!

 

[eli]

At my daughters clinic they do bronchs on a regular basis for young children. They do them once a year for thr first five years, and their reason for that is it has shown to be a positive outcome in young children because they can get whatever bugs are beggining to grow, early.

 

[gsplover]

The only time I have had it done I volunteered to do it. I had several within a 2 month period. I was in the gene therapy clinical trial. They in my mouth down my thoat. They did give me some medication so I don't remeber it except for the one they miscalculated how much medicine to give me. I woke up with one scope left. I didn't feel it but I tried to pull the screen down that they had up so I couldn't see what they where doing. I had a little sore throat afterwards but that is it. Good Luck with yours.

 

[anonymous]

Steph,

1. Thank you for volunteering to participate in the gene therapy clinical trial. I feel there are too little CF patients that participate in these (and the CEO of the CFF is vocal about this as well). Thank you thank you thank you!

2. What was the outcome of the trial? how long ago did you participate?


Thanks for the info!

 

[coltsfan715]

I have only had one bronch and it was last year. They did it to clear a blockage that was causing a partial collapse.
For me they went in through my mouth/throat. As far as the procedure I just remember they took me to the operating room and set me up with a peripheral IV for meds. They had me do an aerosol treatment with numbing meds for my throat that way it would alleviate some pain to my throat as they were inserting the thing. I was told I was in a twilight sleep - where you are kind of unconsious but can still respond to orders. They need you to be able to respond when they say swallow - when they are inserting the scope. They gave me Versed as well, so I don't remember anything about the actual procedure, but if you ask my mom she could tell you lol .. apparently I told her everything they did before the Versed wore off. She just told me that the other day - she won't tell me what I said though so I have no idea.

Afterwards I had a major sore throat and raspy voice. I was able to breathe a lot easier within the first day, but I did have a partial collapse. I also coughed a lot cause all that stuff was kind of loosened up. Funny thing to me was - my doc cleared out a bunch of stuff from all over my lungs, but I felt more congested in the days after the bronch than I had before it.

Overall it wasn't a bad experience for me, other than the numbing aerosol which made me gag a bit cause I felt like a couldn't swallow.

Lindsey

 

[gsplover]

Dear Anonymous,

The Gene Therapy Clinical Trial was long. It was about 18 months. I had a lot of tests and needles. I participated in 1997. I had to sit in a big plastic tent and inhale a cold virus that carried the healthy gene. They did the bronchs to see if the correct protein grew in my lungs. It did for 6 weeks. What eventually happened was my immune system killed the cold virus and the healthy gene. I think it was a great start to something that will probably be the cure of CF. I was very happy to be healthy enough to be able to participate in the study. I know now they are looking at other ways to introduce the healthy gene to us.

 

[thelizardqueen]

Bronchs are very invasive. Some others have said, there's a risk of cross-contamination, puncturing a lung, etc. I've only ever had one once and that was due to severe hemoptysis. They do sedate you though. They give you a morphin drip, along with an LSD type drug that cuts off brain activity to your body. The last thing I remember during the proceudre was the nurse putting a cloth over my eyes. The next thing I knew it was over and I was in recovery. Apparently I was cracking jokes and talking throughout the whole procedure. I don't remember a thing. They did go through my mouth though, and gave me an aersol treatment to numb my throat. The only problems afterwards was that I coughed up a bit of blood and had a sore throat, but I was told that this is completly normal.

 

[anonymous]

I find this interesting. I've never had a bronch. My doc did say when I was in the hospital in Jan. for Hemoptysis that sometimes the do bronch's for that but usually do an embolization. He said he didn't like to do bronch's on Cfer's because of all the coughing.

John, 26, w/ cf

 

[Brad]

I have had many bronchs, they are not really that big of a deal,

They normally give me a shot , ( I call it a Don't give a Sh*t shot)
they numb your throat and the inside or sides of your nose depending if they are
going into both lungs. I am awake , just feel drunk,afterwards I never
need O2 , they always have been while in the hospital, so I am on IV's.

But I have never had a problem with them, infact I talk thru the
whole thing most of the time,and once the Doc turned the scope
so I could see inside my own lung. I am normally cracking jokes
thru the whole thing, MY Doctor does them Himself, He is a short
fellow, he has to stand on a stool to do mine and ofcourse I make a point
to crack a joke about his hight or lack there of , lol.....

Never had a Problem with them except the throat spray they use
tastes like johnsons floor wax , lol

 

[JazzysMom]

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>Brad</b></i>

Never had a Problem with them except the throat spray they use

tastes like johnsons floor wax , lol</end quote></div>


And WHY exactly do you know what Johnsons Floor Wax tastes like? LOL!