Endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) is a bronchoscopy procedure conducted by a consultant pulmonologist. It uses a flexible scope which has video camera with an ultrasound probe at its end, that allows the physician to get images of the patient’s lungs.
EBUS combined with transbronchial needle aspirations (TBNA) is a relatively new and highly effective procedure that is now offered at Mediclinic City Hospital. It is a minimally invasive procedure that uses ultrasound guidance to perform accurate collection of samples from mediastinal/hilar lymph nodes and parabronchial masses.
To collect a sample from the mediastinum (an area in your chest), traditionally thoracic surgeons used to make a small incision on base of the patient’s the neck and use a rigid scope under general anaesthesia.
However, unlike the conventional method of sample collection, EBUS-TBNA is a much less invasive procedure. With the use of ultrasound, the pulmonologist gets real time images of the difficult to reach area and has better access.
EBUS-TBNA has proven very helpful in diagnosing lung and lymph node inflammations (such as sarcoidosis), tuberculosis of mediastinal/hilar nodes, and identifying other malignancies that can affect the lungs or lymph nodes. It is also considered one of the very integral diagnostic tools for diagnosing and staging lung cancer and lymphoma.
EBUS-TBNA is an effective procedure forthe collection of samples without causing too much discomfort to the patient. At Mediclinic City Hospital, this procedure is performed by our trained pulmonologist and it is done as a day care procedure under conscious sedation.