Bronchoscopy: An Overview
When a person is experiencing problems with their lungs or airways, a bronchoscopy may be performed in order to check for infection, obstructions and for other problems. During a bronchoscopy, a patient's trachea, larynx, throat and lower airways are examined using an endoscope called a bronchoscope. Usually, a flexible bronchoscope is used since general anesthesia is not required; rarely, a rigid bronchoscope must be used and general anesthesia is necessary.
Why Are Bronchoscopies Performed?
There are several different reasons that a bronchoscopy might be performed, including:
- To examine and treat growths in a person's airway
- To diagnose the cause of various airways problems, like a chronic cough, difficulty breathing or unexplained bleeding
- To take tissue or mucus samples in order to more clearly diagnose a problem that has been detected previously
- To treat narrowed portions of the airway
- To diagnose the extent of lung cancer
- To treat cancers in the airway using radioactive materials
Laparoscopy: An Overview
Unlike many other kinds of endoscopies, a laparoscopy - the internal examination of the pelvic or abdominal cavity - requires a small incision. Indeed, physicians must make a small cut in a patient's belly in order to introduce the endoscope into the abdominal and/or pelvic cavity. Laparoscopies are often used in lieu of the much more invasive laparotomy surgery, since they involve less recovery time and a lot less pain and discomfort for the patient. Whenever possible, a doctor will perform a laparoscopy instead of laparotomy surgery.
Why Are Laparoscopies Performed?
A laparoscopy might be performed for several different reasons. Some of the most common reasons for a laparscopy are:
- To check female patients for conditions like endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease or an ectopic pregnancy
- To do a biopsy on the tissues of the organs found within the pelvis or the abdomen
- To check for damage to the internal organs, typically the spleen, following a serious accident or injury
- To remove organs like the appendix, the ovaries, the uterus, the gallbladder or the spleen
- To check for and/or remove growths and tumors in the abdomen or pelvis
- To discover the cause of chronic or sudden pelvic pain
- To fix inguinal or hiatal hernias
- To diagnose physical problems that might be causing infertility in
a woman, such as cysts, infections, adhesions and fibroids