Cystoscopy can help find problems with the urinary tract. This may include early signs of cancer, infection, narrowing, blockage, or bleeding. To do this procedure, a long, flexible, lighted tube, called a cystoscope, is put into the urethra and moved up into the bladder.
During a cystoscopy, a urinary tract specialist (urologist) uses a scope to view the inside of the bladder and urethra. Doctors use cystoscopy to diagnose and treat urinary tract problems. These problems include bladder cancer, bladder control issues, enlarged prostates and urinary tract infections.
Cystoscopy is used to diagnose, monitor and treat conditions affecting the bladder and urethra. Your doctor might recommend cystoscopy to: Investigate causes of signs and symptoms. Those signs and symptoms can include blood in the urine, incontinence, overactive bladder and painful urination.
A cystoscope is a thin, tube-like instrument with a light and a lens for viewing. It may also have a tool to remove very small bladder tumors or tissue samples for biopsy. Cystoscopy helps to diagnose, and sometimes treat, bladder cancer and other conditions.
Your doctor or nurse may be able discuss the results of the cystoscopy shortly afterwards. But if a small tissue sample was removed for testing (biopsy), you may not get the results for 2 or 3 weeks. You can usually go home shortly after a flexible cystoscopy.
After a rigid cystoscopy: rest at home for a day or two – you may need to take a couple of days off work. make sure someone stays with you for the first 24 hours. do not drive or drink alcohol for at least 24 hours.
A flexible cystoscopy is performed whilst you're awake. Your specialist will use a local anaesthetic gel to numb the area. The procedure lasts approximately 90 seconds and you'll be able to return home almost immediately after.
Stage I is a form of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer that has spread into the connective tissue but has not reached the muscle layers of the bladder. Stage I bladder cancer (non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer). Cancer has spread into the connective tissue but has not reached the muscle layers of the bladder.
Cystoscopy is a procedure that lets the healthcare provider view the urinary tract, particularly the bladder, the urethra, and the openings to the ureters. Cystoscopy can help find problems with the urinary tract. This may include early signs of cancer, infection, narrowing, blockage, or bleeding.
The anesthesiologist puts medication into the IV so you feel very relaxed right away. You are awake during the procedure and feel the doctor inserting the cystoscope. The procedure takes about 10 minutes. You go back Day Surgery Unit until you are fully alert and able to go home.
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most common complications of a cystoscopy.
Preparation for Cystoscopy
There is no “prep” required. There is no need to come in with a full bladder. We will ask you to empty the bladder prior to the procedure. You may eat before your visit.
A urologist can perform your cystoscopy during an office visit, in an outpatient center, or at a hospital. Ureteroscopies are usually performed in an operating room under anesthesia. A simple exploratory procedure takes about 15 to 30 minutes, including preparation.
A urologist will use a cystoscope to look at your kidneys, bladder, and urethra to identify the cause of blood in your urine. Cystoscopy can also be used to place a stent or remove a stent that was placed during surgery, such as a kidney transplant or kidney stones procedure.
Your doctor will be able to visualize the entire bladder and urethra during this examination in order to determine if there is a tumor present. While this procedure can provoke anxiety, it is tolerated very well. You will be able to drive home after the office procedure without difficulty.
When bladder cancer spreads, it first invades the bladder wall, which is made up of four distinct layers. It can take some time for cancer to penetrate all of these layers, but once it has, it can then spread into the surrounding fatty tissues and lymph nodes.
The symptoms of bladder cancer can come on suddenly or develop over time. The most common presentation is the onset of painless blood in the urine.
Bladder cancer occurs mainly in older people. About 9 out of 10 people with this cancer are over the age of 55. The average age of people when they are diagnosed is 73. Overall, the chance men will develop this cancer during their lifetime is about 1 in 28.
Can bladder cancer go undetected for years? If symptoms such as blood in the urine and changes in urinary habits are ignored by an individual and/or repeatedly misdiagnosed, it's possible that bladder cancer may not be detected for months or, in some cases, even years.
The outlook for people with stage 0a (non-invasive papillary) bladder cancer is very good. These cancers can almost always be cured with treatment. During long-term follow-up care, more superficial cancers are often found in the bladder or in other parts of the urinary system.
Results: The most painful part of the procedure was as the cystoscope passed through the membranous urethra with a median pain score of 2.82. The initial lidocaine administration gives a median pain score of 0.84.
Slight discomfort (burning with urination) can sometimes occur. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) 325 mg, one to two tablets every 6 hours, or ibuprofen (e.g. Advil) 200 mg, one to two tablets every 6 hours should relieve the pain. A prescription for an antibiotic may be given to you.
If you take aspirin, anti-inflammatory drugs (such as Motrin, Alleve, Vioxx, Celebrex etc.) or any blood thinners (such as Coumadin or Plavix). You may need to temporarily stop these medications prior to cystoscopy. If you are not sure, review your medications with your doctor or nurse.