We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. Here’s our process. A cystoscope is a thin tube with a camera and light on the end. During a cystoscopy, a doctor inserts this tube through your urethra (the tube that carries urine out of your bladder) and into your bladder so they can visualize the inside of your bladder. Magnified images from the camera are displayed on a screen where your doctor can see them. Your doctor might prescribe antibiotics before and after the procedure if you have a UTI or a weak immune system. You may also need to give a urine sample before the test. If your doctor plans to give you general anesthesia, you’ll feel groggy afterward. That means before the procedure, you’ll need to arrange a ride home. Plan to take time to rest at home after the procedure, as well. Ask your doctor if you can continue taking any regular medications. Certain medications can cause excessive bleeding during the procedure. The procedure might be performed in a hospital or doctor’s office. You will need some form of anesthesia, so talk to your doctor about your options before the procedure. These include: Local anesthesia: Outpatient procedures generally involve local anesthesia. This means you’ll be awake. You can drink and eat normally on your appointment day and go home immediately after the procedure. General anesthesia: General anesthesia means you’ll be unconscious during the cystoscopy. With general anesthesia, you may need to fast for several hours ahead of time. Regional anesthesia: Regional anesthesia involves an injection in your back. This will numb you below the waist. You might feel a sting from the shot. With either regional or general anesthesia, you will probably need to stay in the hospital for a few hours after the procedure. Just before the cystoscopy, you need go to the bathroom to empty your bladder. Then, you change into a surgical gown and lie down on your back on a treatment table. Your feet may be positioned in stirrups. The nurse may provide you with antibiotics to help prevent a bladder infection. At this point, you’ll be given anesthesia. If you get general anesthesia, this will be all that you are conscious of until you wake up. If you get a local or regional anesthetic, you may also be given a sedative to relax you. Your urethra will be numbed with an anesthetic spray or gel. You’ll still feel some sensations, but the gel makes the procedure less painful. The doctor will lubricate the scope with gel and carefully insert it into the urethra. This may burn slightly, and it may feel like urinating. If the procedure is investigatory, your doctor will use a flexible scope. Biopsies or other surgical procedures require a slightly thicker, rigid scope. The bigger scope allows surgical instruments to pass through it. Your doctor looks through a lens as the scope enters your bladder. A sterile solution also flows through to flood your bladder. This makes it easier for your doctor to see what’s going on. The fluid might give you an uncomfortable feeling of needing to urinate. With local anesthesia, your cystoscopy may take less than five minutes. If you’re sedated or given general anesthesia, the entire procedure may take 15 to 30 minutes. It’s normal to have a burning sensation while urinating for two to three days after the procedure. You may need to urinate more frequently than usual. Don’t try to hold it, as the blood in your bladder could clot and create a blockage. Blood in the urine is also common after the procedure, especially if you had a biopsy. Drinking lots of water helps ease the burning and bleeding. Some people develop more serious complications, including: Swollen urethra (urethritis): This is the most common complication. It makes urination difficult. If you can’t urinate for more than eight hours after the procedure, contact your doctor. Infection: In rare cases, germs enter your urinary tract and cause infection. Fever, strange smelling urine, nausea, and lower back pain are all symptoms of infection. You might need antibiotics. Bleeding: A few people suffer from more serious bleeding. Call your doctor if this happens. You should also call your doctor if you:
Give yourself time to rest. Drink lots of fluids and stay close to the bathroom. Holding a damp, warm washcloth over your urethra can help relieve any pain. If your doctor gives you permission, take pain medications such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil). Find acetaminophen and ibuprofen at Amazon. If you were given general anesthesia, have someone stay with you. after the procedure. You may feel sleepy or dizzy. Don’t drink alcohol, drive, or operate complex machinery for the rest of the day. If you had a biopsy done, you’ll need time to heal. Avoid heavy lifting for the next two weeks. Ask your doctor when it’s safe to have sexual intercourse. Your doctor might have your results immediately, or it could take a few days. If you had a biopsy, you’ll have to wait for lab results. Ask your doctor when to expect any news. There are 2 types of cystoscopy: a flexible cystoscopy and a rigid cystoscopy. Both involve passing a thin viewing tube called a cystoscope along the urethra (the tube that carries pee out of the body) and into the bladder, but they're done in slightly different ways. Anyone can have either type of cystoscopy. Ask your doctor or nurse which type you're going to have if you're not sure. A flexible cystoscopy is where a thin (about the width of a pencil) and bendy cystoscope is used. You stay awake while it's carried out. PreparationYou'll be sent instructions to follow before your appointment. This will include advice about eating, drinking, and what to do about any medicines you're taking. You can usually eat and drink as normal before a flexible cystoscopy. Before the procedure starts, you'll be asked to undress from the waist down and put on a hospital gown. You may be asked to pee into a container so it can be checked for an infection. The procedure may be delayed if a urine infection is found. The procedureFor a flexible cystoscopy:
The cystoscope is usually removed after a few minutes. A nurse will stay with you throughout to explain what's happening. Does it hurt?People often worry that a cystoscopy will be painful, but it does not usually hurt. Tell your doctor or nurse if you feel any pain during it. It can be a bit uncomfortable and you may feel like you need to pee during the procedure, but this will only last a few minutes. AfterwardsAfter the cystoscope is removed, you may need to go straight to the toilet to empty your bladder before changing back into your clothes. 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. Read about recovering from a cystoscopy for more information. A rigid cystoscopy is where a cystoscope that does not bend is used. You're either put to sleep for the procedure or the lower half of your body is numbed while it's carried out. PreparationYou'll be sent instructions to follow before your appointment. This will include advice about eating, drinking, and what to do about any medicines you're taking. You'll usually need to stop eating and drinking for a few hours before a rigid cystoscopy. You'll also need to arrange for someone to give you a lift home, as you will not be able to drive for 24 hours. You'll be asked to change into a hospital gown for the procedure. You may be asked to pee into a container so it can be checked for an infection. The procedure may be delayed if a urine infection is found. The procedureFor a rigid cystoscopy:
The procedure can last up to 30 minutes. Does it hurt?You may have a short, sharp pain as the injection of anaesthetic is given, but you will not have any pain or discomfort during the procedure because you'll be asleep or your lower half will be numbed. AfterwardsWhen the procedure is finished, you'll be taken to a room or ward to recover from the anaesthetic. Sometimes you may have a thin tube called a catheter placed into your bladder to help you pee. This will be taken out before you go home. Your doctor or nurse may be able to 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 once the anaesthetic has worn off, the catheter has been removed (if you have one) and you're able to empty your bladder. Read about recovering from a cystoscopy for more information.
Page last reviewed: 20 April 2020 |