Precise Bronchoscopy for Precise Treatment

As a leading provider of pulmonary disease care for Louisville and Southern Indiana patients, Norton Pulmonary Specialists offers a full range of testing options, including bronchoscopy.

The board-certified and fellowship-trained specialists at Norton Pulmonary Specialists use bronchoscopy regularly to look for problems inside your lungs. The procedure helps us diagnose and treat various lung conditions, obtain tissue and fluid samples, investigate a persistent cough, retrieve a foreign object and more.

A biopsy may be performed during the bronchoscopy, allowing us to test for polyps, infections and cancers.

With their experience and expertise, the pulmonologists at Norton Pulmonary Specialists can use data from this and other tests to give you a precise diagnosis and customized treatment plan.

What to Expect During a Bronchoscopy

We’ll numb your throat and possibly your nose to lessen the gagging and coughing reflex as the bronchoscope is placed in your nose or mouth. You’ll be given intravenous medicine to help you relax. You’ll be awake, but likely will feel sleepy.

The bronchoscope itself is a thin tube with a tiny camera. We’ll gently thread the flexible bronchoscope past your vocal cords and into the airways of your respiratory system.

The procedure may be uncomfortable, but shouldn’t hurt. Our team will make you as comfortable as possible.

During the procedure, your physician can send tools through the bronchoscope to retrieve tissue and fluid samples.

The procedure itself takes about 30 to 60 minutes. The entire time from prep through recovery will take about four hours.

Preparing for Your Bronchoscopy

You’ll need to stop taking blood-thinning medicine several days before the procedure. You also won’t be able to eat or drink for four to eight hours before the bronchoscopy.

You’ll need a friend or family member to drive you home afterward. Medications used during the procedure will remain in your system and make driving unsafe.

Care That’s Convenient for You

• Our staff includes interventional pulmonologists who are trained and experienced in minimally invasive diagnostics and treatment, including robotic-assisted bronchoscopy, meaning you’ll have access to advanced technology for your care.
• We have seven convenient Louisville-area locations: Northeastern Louisville, downtown Louisville, Newburg, Pleasure Ridge Park and Mount Washington, Kentucky; in Southern Indiana, Jeffersonville and Scottsburg.
• We provide pulmonary care and respiratory management of critical care patients at Norton Audubon Hospital, Norton Brownsboro Hospital and Norton Hospital.
• Norton Healthcare’s pulmonary rehabilitation program has three locations in Louisville and is certified by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation.
• We work as a team with referring physicians, including pediatricians.
• Medicare, Medicaid and most major commercial insurance plans are accepted.

About Norton Pulmonary Specialists

The board-certified and fellowship-trained physicians with Norton Pulmonary Specialists are leaders in caring for Louisville and Southern Indiana patients with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema and other lung diseases.

• More than two dozen board-certified and fellowship-trained physicians with extensive experience specialize in diagnosis and management of all forms of lung diseases and sleep disorders, so you can get the care you need.
• The Norton Pulmonary Specialists team pursues leading-edge treatments, and our specialists are investigators on many clinical trials that give patients access to the latest treatments.
• Our specialists use robotic-assisted bronchoscopy to perform minimally invasive biopsies of the lung, which allows for greater precision during the important diagnostic procedure.  
• Norton Pulmonary Specialists is accredited by the American College of Chest Physicians, the American Thoracic Society, the American College of Physicians and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
• Our providers will give you a precise diagnosis and develop a customized treatment plan for your lung condition, so you can get back to living your best life.
• For asthma, your physician will work with you to develop a written asthma action plan to help you manage your symptoms.
• Medicare, Medicaid and most major commercial insurance plans are accepted.
• Communicate with your provider, manage appointments, refill prescriptions and more anytime from a computer or mobile device with a free Norton MyChart account.