Not always simple: Doctors flag hidden risks of bronchoscopy procedures in Bengaluru | Bengaluru News
Bengaluru: While bronchoscopy is often described as a minimally invasive tool to diagnose or treat respiratory illnesses, doctors warn that the procedure carries significant risks — ranging from severe bleeding and airway blockages to lung collapse.At the Conclave of Advanced Pulmonary Interventions (CAPI-2025) organised by Dr Ravindra Mehta, director of Vaayu Chest and Sleep Specialists, Dr Sahajal Dhooria, professor of Pulmonary Medicine at PGIMER, Chandigarh, said: “A little bit of bleeding is expected, especially during tissue biopsies. But it becomes a complication when the bleeding is moderate or massive, interfering with organ function,” Airway obstruction is another critical risk. Dr A Jayachandra, senior interventional pulmonologist at Care Hospitals, Hyderabad, said a tumour being removed from one airway could roll over and block another. “You then end up compromising two air passages,” he said.A collapsed lung, or pneumothorax, may also occur if air leaks into the chest cavity during a biopsy or needle-based intervention. “It’s like a punctured balloon. The lung can’t expand unless you stop the leak,” said Dr Dhooria.Given the risks, careful patient selection and practitioner self-awareness are crucial, said Dr Pyng Lee, director of Interventional Pulmonology at Singapore’s National University Hospital. “Do not let ego come in the way. If someone else is more experienced, let them take over. That saves lives,” she said.Doctors also highlighted the importance of normalising open conversations around complications — still rare in India’s clinical ecosystem. “Most of this is still shared only in close circles. There’s a fear of being seen as incompetent, or legal issues arising. But everyone faces complications,” Dr Jayachandra said. Dr Mehta said acknowledging and sharing such outcomes helps build a stronger safety culture. “We need more forums like this. That’s how we improve care,” he said.Sometimes, doctors face bizarre cases of foreign objects lodged in patients’ airways. Dr Karan Madan of AIIMS, New Delhi, once treated a fisherman who held a fish in his mouth only for it to slip into his windpipe. Dr David Fielding, a thoracic physician from Australia, recounted having to remove peanuts people had inhaled during party tricks, and even teeth lost in accidents.While children under three remain the most vulnerable to inhaling small objects, doctors advise against trying to forcibly remove them from a child’s mouth. “Crying increases air intake, which can suck the object deeper into the airway,” said Dr Jayachandra.BoxCity hosts 1st silent summit for eye specialists In a break from the usual buzz of medical conferences, 450 ophthalmologists sat in near silence at a city hotel Sunday, attending what was billed as Bengaluru’s first Silent Summit for the medical community.Organised by the Bangalore Ophthalmic Society (BOS), the unique format replaced conventional multiple-hall sessions with a single room, four-panel discussions running simultaneously, and headphones for each delegate.Instead of dashing between halls, participants tuned in to sessions of their choice by switching channels on their headsets. “It allowed seamless access to all tracks without moving around,” said Dr Elankumaran P, BOS president.The conference screen was split into four sections for each ongoing panel, and mics were placed in front of each lane for audience interaction. Inspired by multilingual events like those at the United Nations and European medical conferences, the format cost BOS an additional Rs 10 lakh in tech — but saved on venue rentals.The system supported up to 40 channels and was previously used in ophthalmology summits in Haryana and Barcelona. Despite the success, nine headphones went missing by the end of the event, organisers said. | TNN
