1. EBUS is different from ordinary bronchoscopy
Thoraxklinik Heidelberg lists endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) and radial EBUS among its advanced endoscopic methods. These techniques add ultrasound guidance to bronchoscopy and can support tissue sampling in selected lymph-node, airway or peripheral-lesion pathways.
2. Navigation can be relevant for difficult peripheral lung nodules
Thoraxklinik describes navigation bronchoscopy for peripheral lung lesions using thin and ultrathin bronchoscopes, virtual bronchoscopy, robot-assisted bronchoscopy and cone-beam CT. Whether any of these technologies is useful depends on lesion size, location, previous imaging and the diagnostic goal.
3. Cryobiopsy is one option for selected tissue questions
Thoraxklinik lists transbronchial cryobiopsy and tissue sampling among its interventional endoscopy capabilities, while Charité offers bronchoscopy and bronchoalveolar lavage in complex lung-disease work-up. Tissue sampling should be discussed against alternatives such as conventional biopsy, image-guided biopsy or surgery.
4. Interventional bronchoscopy can also be therapeutic
Published Thoraxklinik services include airway recanalization, management of benign and malignant stenoses, airway stents, bleeding control and foreign-body removal. This makes the first question not simply 'Can bronchoscopy be done?' but 'What problem is the bronchoscopy intended to solve?'
5. Records to send before booking an invasive procedure
The procedure choice usually depends on imaging and prior pathology.
- Recent chest CT or PET/CT images and reports
- Previous bronchoscopy or biopsy reports
- Pathology/cytology results
- Pulmonary-function tests
- Anticoagulant or antiplatelet medication list
- The exact diagnostic or therapeutic question from the referring team
Official and primary sources
Sources last checked 2026-09-21.