Bronchoscope-induced Displacement of Lung Targets

Abstract

A bronchoscope placed in a wedge position displaces lung targets and affects their respiratory behavior. As an image navigation system guides the operator towards a position dictated by the preoperative computed tomography, the displacement found in this study may cause the operator to miss the target. This may be part of the explanation for the limited success rates reported in the literature for navigated bronchoscopy.