Bronchoscopy

• Bronchoscopy is a procedure that allows veterinarians to examine your cat’s lungs and airways. During bronchoscopy, a thin tube (bronchoscope) is passed through your cat’s mouth and down its windpipe into its lungs.
• Bronchoscopy is most commonly performed using a flexible bronchoscope.

• Common reasons for needing a bronchoscopy are a persistent cough or wheeze, infection or something unusual seen on a chest X-ray or CT scanning.
• Bronchoscopy can also be used to obtain samples of mucus or tissue, to remove foreign bodies or other blockages from the airways or lungs or to enable the development of a treatment plan.

Unfortunately, although complications from bronchoscopy are uncommon and usually minor, they can occur. Complications may be more likely if the airways are inflamed or damaged by disease. Complications may be related to the procedure itself or the anaesthesia required.

Some possible complications include:

• Airway spasm. A cat’s lower airways are very reactive (which is why they are so prone to getting bad asthma), and they can spasm from the presence of the bronchoscopy or the fluid. To reduce this occurrence, cats are commonly given bronchodilators (airway dilators) medications when their anaesthesia is first started.
• Collapsed lung. In rare cases, an airway may be injured during bronchoscopy. If the lung is punctured, air can collect in the space around the lung, which can cause the lung to collapse. Usually, this problem is identified quickly and easily treated, but it may require a longer stay in the hospital.

It is important to note that although uncommon, these risks are possible. If we are worried that the risk of a complication is too high, we will recommend that the procedure not be performed and discuss alternative methods (such as treatment trials) to help your cat.

It really depends on the health of your cat’s airways, as the process can be very slow and meticulous. Bronchoscopy usually takes 30-45 minutes.

• Your cat will be anaesthetised and have a tube placed into its trachea to supply oxygen. A lot of monitoring equipment is used, and typically, two nursing staff members monitor your cat’s anaesthetic and help with the procedure. Your feline veterinarian will then guide the bronchoscope into the different airways.
• Depending on the patient, lung washes (bronchoalveolar lavage) may be performed following the airway assessment. The patient is then recovered from their anaesthetic and is very closely monitored for the next two hours after their procedure.

This forms another part of the airway examination. Sterile saline is flushed down the bronchoscopy (or a small sterile tube is placed into the airway), and the fluid is then sucked back up. This helps us to retrieve samples of the mucous, cells and possibly infectious agents that may be present.

• The bronchoscopy results are obtained the same day, and your feline veterinarian will telephone you once the procedure is completed to discuss them.
• Samples submitted to the laboratory are taken within 24-72 hours, and we will call you when we receive them.

That really depends on the severity of your cat’s breathing problems. If the procedure has gone well and your cat is not severely affected, then they may be able to go home a few hours after the procedure. If we are concerned that their breathing is not normal, then we will discuss ongoing hospitalisation options with you.