Use of cryoprobe for removal of a large tracheobronchial foreign body during flexible bronchoscopy.
Foreign body (FB) inhalation in the tracheobronchial tree is an infrequently encountered event in adults. The diagnosis is suspected in the presence of a clinical history of aspiration and the presence of respiratory symptoms. Management involves confirmation by flexible bronchoscopy, which may be both diagnostic as well as therapeutic. However, in certain situations including those with large FB, FB embedded in granulation tissue or FB with very smooth margins, rigid bronchoscopy may be superior to flexible bronchoscopy in the retrieval of the FB. An alternative to rigid bronchoscopy in such situations may be the use of a cryoprobe. Herein, we describe a patient with a large tracheobronchial FB causing a complete collapse of the left lung and hypoxemia. The FB was successfully extracted using a cryoprobe during flexible bronchoscopy, obviating the need for rigid bronchoscopy.
Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
Inderpaul Singh
IS
Sehgal
Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
Sahajal
S
Dhooria
Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
Digambar
D
Behera
Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
Ritesh
R
Agarwal
Anesthesia; bronchoscopy; foreign body; hypoxia; lignocaine; respiratory failure