The addition of an air/water button to a flexible bronchoscope (provided with a suction button) for use as a slim operative panendoscope.

Thin-caliber (4.9 and 6.3 mm) flexible bronchoscopes already provided with a suction button have been modified by adding an air/water button for the control of air insufflation and water irrigation; the channel used is the biopsy-suction one. With the aid of this instrument, several pathologies can be studied and treated, under adverse conditions such as esophageal or recto-sigmoidal stenosis, hematuria in polytraumatic patients, residual stones in patients carrying a T-tube, acute respiratory obstructions, etc.