The safety profile of a protocolized transbronchial cryobiopsy program utilizing a 2.4 mm cryoprobe for interstitial lung disease

Introduction: Transbronchial lung cryobiopsy (TBLC) has emerged as a promising alternative to surgical lung biopsy for the diagnosis of interstitial lung disease. However, uncertainty remains regarding its overall complications due to a lack of procedural standardization including the size of cryoprobe utilized. Methods: This is a prospective cohort study of a protocolized transbronchial cryobiopsy program utilizing a 2.4 mm cryoprobe. 201 consecutive subjects were enrolled at a single academic center. Results: The average biopsy size was 106.2 +/- 39.3 mm(2). Complications included a total pneumothorax rate of 4.9% with 3.5% undergoing chest tube placement. Severe bleeding defined by the Nashville Working Group occurred in 0.5% of cases. There were no deaths at 30-days. Discussion: A protocolized transbronchial cryobiopsy program utilizing a 2.4 mm cryoprobe in can achieve a high diagnostic yield with a favorable safety profile.