The Evaluation of the Transbronchial Cryobiopsy Procedure Difficulty Among Training Doctors

• Published in: The Journal of the Japan Society for Respiratory Endoscopy Vol. 45; no. 6; pp. 379 - 384
• Main Authors: Ishii, Satoru, Hashimoto, Masao, Izumi, Shinyu, Morita, Chie, Suzuki, Manabu, Hojo, Masayuki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Japanese
• Published: The Japan Society for Respiratory Endoscopy 25.11.2023; 特定非営利活動法人 日本呼吸器内視鏡学会
• Subjects: Bronchoscopy; Cryobiopsy; Procedure difficulty; Training doctor; クライオ生検; 修練医; 手技の難易度; 気管支鏡
• ISSN: 0287-2137; 2186-0149
• DOI: 10.18907/jjsre.45.6_379

Background. Transbronchial cryobiopsies have been widely referenced in conference presentations and research articles. However, few reports have discussed the difficulty in performing this procedure. Subjects and methods. The subjects were 19 training doctors who performed transbronchial cryobiopsies between August 1, 2019, and March 9, 2023. The doctors were asked to take a survey regarding the difficulty they experienced when performing transbronchial cryobiopsies. The questionnaire results were scored and ranked according to the average score. Results. The 19 training doctors comprised 13 men and 6 women. The median number of years post-qualification was 5 (range: 3-7), and the median time required to perform a transbronchial cryobiopsy was 53 (range: 40-90) minutes. Among the nine surgical procedure items, the part of the procedure reported to be the most difficult to perform was the biopsy itself using a cryoprobe. The second-most difficult part to perform was identifying of the biopsy target on a fluoroscopic image. The diagnostic rate among the subjects was 84.2%, which did not differ markedly from that of bronchoscopy instructors or specialists. Conclusion. The most difficult part of medical procedure was the biopsy itself using a cryoprobe. The second-most difficult part was identifying the biopsy target on fluoroscopic image.