Bronchoscopy Aftercare Instructions
A day-by-day recovery guide for bronchoscopy: what to expect, how to care for yourself, and when to call. Free to read and print.
What to expect
Incentive Spirometer
- •Use every 1-2 hours while awake
- •Take a slow, deep breath; hold for 3-5 seconds
- •This is the single most important thing to prevent complications
No Smoking
- •Smoking dramatically slows lung healing
- •This is the best time to quit if you haven't already
- •Ask your care team about cessation resources
Bronchoscopy recovery, day by day
Breathing & Monitoring
- Mild sore throat and hoarse voice are normal for 1-2 days
- Follow the arrival and fasting times in your procedure team's current written instructions. Contact the team if those instructions are missing or unclear.
- Use the incentive spirometer every 1-2 hours while awake, 10 breaths each time
- Cough and deep breathe regularly; splint your chest with a pillow if it hurts
Activity
- Rest for the day; resume normal activities tomorrow
- Avoid smoking; this is the most important thing for lung healing
- Keep head elevated to ease breathing
Lung Recovery
- Continue incentive spirometer faithfully, prevents pneumonia and collapse
- Gradually increase walking distance each day
- Report any increasing shortness of breath
- Cough up mucus; do not suppress productive coughs
Continued Recovery
- Gradually resume normal activities
- Continue deep breathing exercises daily for 4-6 weeks
- Attend all follow-up appointments and imaging
- Report any persistent cough, fever, or breathing difficulty
When to call your provider or 911
- •Call 911 now if you notice: Sudden severe shortness of breath
- •Call your care team today if you notice: Coughing up blood, more than a teaspoon
- •Call 911 now if you notice: Chest pain that worsens with breathing
- •Call your care team today if you notice: Fever above 101.5°F
- •Call your care team today if you notice: Bluish color to lips or fingernails, cyanosis
When in doubt, call your clinic. For a medical emergency, call 911.
Recovery milestones
- Day 2
Recovery Progress Check
Notice what is improving, unchanged, or worsening. Contact the care team if symptoms are getting worse or the next step is unclear.
- Day 14
Breathing Improves
Lung function gradually improving with exercises
- Day 21
Ongoing Recovery Review
Review any remaining symptoms or restrictions with the care team before changing your routine.
For clinics
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QR Rx sends this exact bronchoscopy recovery plan to every patient, branded to your practice, opened by a QR code. It checks in automatically, answers post-op questions, asks for a review at the right moment, and brings patients back for their next visit. The aftercare you already owe every patient, doing the work of keeping them.
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