How many minutes does it take to do a nasal endoscopy

A nasal endoscopic examination usually takes 5-15 minutes. The specific examination duration is related to factors such as the patient's nasal structure, degree of cooperation, and whether other operations need to be performed simultaneously. The duration of nasal endoscopic examination mainly depends on the complexity of the examination. For patients with normal nasal structure and good coordination, the simple nasal endoscopic examination process is relatively fast and can generally be completed within 5-7 minutes. The doctor will use a slender endoscope with a camera to slowly enter from one nostril and observe the structures of the nasal vestibule, inferior turbinate, middle nasal passage, olfactory cleft, and nasopharynx in sequence. If the patient has a lot of nasal secretions, the doctor needs to clean them first, which will slightly prolong the examination time. If the patient has conditions such as deviated nasal septum, nasal polyps, or nasal stenosis, the endoscopic passage may be obstructed, and the doctor needs to adjust the angle and direction more carefully. At this time, the examination time may be extended to 7-10 minutes. When doctors discover suspicious lesions such as new organisms, bleeding points, or abnormal secretions, they need to repeatedly observe and record images, and may even need to use suction or biopsy forceps to take a small amount of tissue for pathological examination. This process further increases the examination time, usually taking 10-15 minutes. In addition, children or patients who are sensitive to examinations and have poor cooperation may require more time for soothing or staged operations, with a total duration of nearly 15 minutes. Overall, from preparation to completion, the vast majority of patients' examinations can be completed within 15 minutes.

Before the examination, it is recommended that you explain to the doctor whether you have hypertension, a history of heart disease, and whether you are taking anticoagulant drugs. Try to keep your head stable during the examination, breathe steadily with your mouth, and avoid nervousness. After examination, there may be slight discomfort or a small amount of blood in the nasal cavity, which usually resolves on its own in a short period of time and does not require special treatment. If there is continuous bleeding or severe pain, please contact a doctor promptly.