
Once the numbness is gone, you may have a sore throat, cough, or hoarseness for the next day or so. You won't be allowed to eat or drink until the numbness wears off. Your mouth and throat will probably be numb for a few hours. As the anesthesia wears off you may be groggy or confused for a few hours. After the testĪfter the procedure, you will be watched closely to make sure you don’t have any problems. The procedure usually takes about 60 minutes, but it might take longer, depending on what’s being done. Once the procedure is complete, you will be woken up gently and taken off the breathing machine. The mediastinoscope will then be removed and the cuts closed. Any abnormal lymph nodes or areas seen through the camera will be removed or biopsied with the cutting tool and then checked in the lab. A small cut is made just above the breastbone and the mediastinoscope is slowly moved into the mediastinum. A tube will be put into your throat and hooked up to a breathing machine while the procedure is being done. Mediastinoscopy can usually be done as an outpatient procedure (you don’t need to stay overnight in a hospital).įor this test, you will be given drugs through an intravenous (IV) line to put you in a deep sleep (under general anesthesia).

Be sure to follow them, and to ask questions if you don’t understand something. Your doctor or nurse will give you specific instructions. You might also be asked not to eat or drink anything for at least several hours before the procedure. You might be asked to stop taking blood-thinning medicines (including aspirin) for several days before the test.

Before the testīe sure your health care provider knows about any medicines you are taking, including vitamins, herbs, and supplements, as well as if you have allergies to any medicines. Be sure to talk to your health care provider before having this test so you understand what to expect and ask questions if you’re not sure about something. But your experience might be a little different, depending on things like why you’re having the test, where you’re having the test done, and your overall health. This is what typically happens before, during, and after a mediastinoscopy. What’s it like to have a mediastinoscopy? It can also be used in people with thymoma (tumor of the thymus gland), esophagus cancer, or lymphoma for the same reasons. Mediastinoscopy is often done to remove or biopsy lymph nodes in the area between the lungs to check for cancer or to stage lung cancer. Why do you need to have mediastinoscopy? Because the lymph nodes or the area between your lungs looks suspicious
