Bronchoscopy & EBUS in Hyderabad
City Chest Clinic, Mehdipatnam, Hyderabad|Dr. S.A. Rafi, Consultant Pulmonologist
When a chest X-ray or CT shows something that needs explaining — a shadow, an enlarged lymph node, unexplained bleeding, a narrowed airway or fluid around the lung — bronchoscopy answers the question directly. A thin flexible camera is passed into the airways so the lining can be inspected and samples taken from exactly the right place, usually as a day-care procedure under sedation.
When bronchoscopy is recommended
- An abnormal shadow, nodule or mass on chest X-ray or CT that needs a tissue diagnosis
- Enlarged mediastinal or hilar lymph nodes — for staging lung cancer, or diagnosing sarcoidosis or TB
- Coughing up blood (haemoptysis) with no clear cause
- Suspected tuberculosis where sputum tests are negative or the patient cannot produce sputum
- A persistent lung infection or collapse that has not responded to treatment
- Suspected airway narrowing, a foreign body, or a tumour blocking a bronchus
- Persistent pleural effusion needing biopsy or drainage
- Interstitial lung disease requiring lavage or lung biopsy
If any of these apply to you, book an evening consultation at City Chest Clinic, Mehdipatnam. Bring all previous reports, X-rays and your current medicines or inhalers.
Procedures performed
- Flexible bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage, brushings, endobronchial and transbronchial lung biopsy.
- EBUS-TBNA — endobronchial ultrasound with real-time needle sampling of mediastinal and hilar lymph nodes. This is the modern standard for staging lung cancer and diagnosing sarcoidosis and nodal TB, and it avoids open surgical mediastinoscopy in most patients.
- Rigid bronchoscopy for foreign body removal, central airway obstruction and therapeutic intervention.
- Therapeutic bronchoscopy: clearance of mucus plugs and blood clots, airway dilatation and stent placement, and tumour debulking.
- Medical thoracoscopy (pleuroscopy) for direct pleural biopsy and talc pleurodesis in recurrent effusion.
- Pleural procedures: ultrasound-guided thoracentesis, intercostal drainage and indwelling pleural catheters.
- Microbiological and molecular testing on samples, including CBNAAT for TB and drug-resistance testing.
What the procedure is actually like
Most patients are surprised by how straightforward it is. Flexible bronchoscopy is a day-care procedure: you come fasting, the throat and airways are numbed with local anaesthetic, sedation is given so you are comfortable and drowsy, and the scope — about the thickness of a pencil — is passed through the nose or mouth into the airways. You continue to breathe normally throughout.
The diagnostic part usually takes 15 to 30 minutes. You are observed for a couple of hours afterwards, can eat once the throat numbness wears off, and go home the same day with someone accompanying you. A mild sore throat, hoarseness or a little blood-streaked sputum for a day afterwards is normal and expected.
- Before: 6 hours fasting; bring all previous X-rays, CT scans and reports; tell us about blood thinners, diabetes medication, asthma and any allergies.
- During: local anaesthesia plus sedation, with continuous oxygen and monitoring of oxygen saturation, pulse and blood pressure.
- After: 2 hours of observation, no eating or drinking until the throat sensation returns, and no driving on the day of the procedure.
- Results: rapid tests including CBNAAT are often available within a day; histopathology usually takes 3 to 5 days.
Bronchoscopy is a very safe procedure in experienced hands. Serious complications are uncommon; the risks — bleeding, pneumothorax after transbronchial biopsy, transient fever or a temporary drop in oxygen — are explained fully and consented for before every case.
Why it matters who does it
- Performed by Dr. S.A. Rafi, Chief Consultant Interventional Pulmonologist with over 20 years of experience and clinical fellowship training at the University of Utah Hospital, USA.
- Both diagnostic and therapeutic interventions available, so a single operator can take the case from question to treatment.
- EBUS-guided sampling means a definitive diagnosis from the correct node, avoiding repeat procedures and unnecessary surgery.
- Procedures carried out in a fully equipped hospital setting at KIMS Hospitals, Gachibowli, with consultation and follow-up at City Chest Clinic, Mehdipatnam.
- Coordinated onward care with oncology, thoracic surgery and the TB programme depending on what is found.
Where and when to consult
832/2, House No.12, Sai Suchi Towers, Opposite Canara Bank,
Mehdipatnam, Hyderabad, Telangana 500006
Bronchoscopy & EBUS — frequently asked questions
Is bronchoscopy painful?
No. The throat and airways are numbed with local anaesthetic and sedation is given, so most patients are drowsy and comfortable and remember very little. A mild sore throat or hoarse voice for a day afterwards is the usual extent of it.
Do I need to be admitted to hospital?
Diagnostic flexible bronchoscopy is normally a day-care procedure — you come fasting and go home the same day after two hours of observation. Admission is needed only for rigid bronchoscopy, therapeutic interventions, thoracoscopy or where there is significant coexisting illness.
What is EBUS and why is it better?
EBUS is a bronchoscope with an ultrasound probe on its tip. It lets the pulmonologist see lymph nodes and masses through the airway wall and pass a needle into them under real-time imaging. It gives a far higher diagnostic yield than blind sampling and, in most patients, avoids open surgical mediastinoscopy.
How soon will I get the results?
Rapid microbiological and molecular tests such as CBNAAT for TB are often reported within 24 hours. Histopathology and cytology usually take 3 to 5 days, and specialised molecular or mutation testing on cancer samples can take longer.
How do I arrange a bronchoscopy in Hyderabad?
Book a consultation with Dr. S.A. Rafi at City Chest Clinic, Mehdipatnam on +91 81215 09229 and bring all your imaging and reports. He will confirm whether bronchoscopy is the right next step and schedule it at KIMS Hospitals, Gachibowli.
MBBS, MD (Pulmonary Medicine), MS Clin Inf (USA), Fellowship (USA). Director of City Chest Clinic, Mehdipatnam and Senior Consultant Pulmonologist at KIMS Hospitals, Gachibowli.
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Bronchoscopy & EBUS at City Chest Clinic, Hyderabad
Mehdipatnam · Mon–Sat, 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM · KIMS Gachibowli · Mon–Sat, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
About Dr. S.A. Rafi