ABSTRACT
Flexible and rigid bronchoscopy afford the proceduralist access to the trachea and bronchi not only for common diagnostic and therapeutic purposes but for more complex interventions. This chapter will describe several key procedures that the advanced bronchoscopist may wish to have in their arsenal. The chapter includes both diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, but the common thread is an increased degree of risk and complexity that demand a high degree of technical skill and confidence on the part of the bronchoscopist. Many of these procedures benefit from a combination of flexible and rigid airway endoscopy, so collaboration between the interventional pulmonologist and the otolaryngologist/airway surgeon is helpful. Each procedure will be described with the assumption that the reader is familiar with basic flexible and rigid bronchoscopy techniques and tools, either from experience or from study of the earlier chapters in this book. Demonstration images and videos are included, as are technical tips and discussion of risks and potential complications.
