Before the procedure:

• Do not take any blood thinners (aspirin or Plavix 7 days, Coumadin/warfarin 4 days) prior to the procedure.
• Do not eat foods or drink liquids for 6 hours before the procedure

Day of procedure:

• Bring a driver; you will not be able to drive yourself after the procedure
• Your primary care giver that will help you with drainage needs to come with you
• Come to outpatient admitting office to check in
• An IV will be placed before the procedure
• You will be asked to watch a training video with your primary care giver
• Lidocaine will be used to numb your skin, alert the nurse if you are allergic to this or any other medications
• The doctor will speak with you before the procedure to review the plan
• The nurse will give you sedating medications before the procedure starts

After the procedure:

• You may not remember what is said due to the sedating medications
• You may experience a soreness in your chest
• There will be a chest tube in your side and bandaged
• A chest X-ray will be taken to check the placement of the chest tube
• Be prepared to spend the night in the hospital, though this is rare
• Your doctor will arrange a follow-up visit to check on your drainage
• Sutures will be left in to secure the chest tube, they will be removed in a week or two
• If you want another doctor to get results from the procedure please bring the name and fax number with you

*********Register for procedure at Palmetto Health Richland  click here to view campus map

• Bronchoscopy
• Medical thoracoscopy
• Tunneled chest tube placement

Eight Medical Park, Suite 410
Columbia, SC  29203
Phone: (803) 799-5022
Fax: (803) 799-5890
fmcguire@gw.mp.sc.edu

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