Application of fiberoptic bronchoscopy in children with congenital heart disease in perioperative management

AIM:To explore the clinical application of flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy in children with congenital heart disease before operation, during operation and after operation. METHODS: Analysis was conducted in the application of flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy (FFB) for the diagnosis and treatment in 235 children with congenital heart disease between November 2009 and June 2012. RESULTS: Bronchoscopy produced a good effect in the treatment for congenital heart disease children with perioperative atelectasis, pulmonary infection or pulmonary hemorrhage. Bronchoscopy could also be used as an auxiliary method for the diagnosis of lesions of congenital heart disease complicated with airway structural abnormalities. No bronchoscope-related deaths or serious complications such as hemorrhage, pneumothorax or cardiac arrhythmias occurred in the cases under study and oxygen saturation decreased only in a few cases. CONCLUSION: Bronchoscopy examination is the gold standard for the diagnosis of airway diseases in children and is a relatively safe means of diagnosis and treatment for children with congenital heart disease before, during and after operation.