Cystoscopy

Cystography, Cystourethroscopy

How It Is Done

Cystoscopy is performed by a urologist, with one or more assistants. The test is done in a special testing room in a hospital or the doctor's office.

You will need to take off all or most of your clothes, and you will be given a cloth or paper covering to use during the test.

About an hour before the test, you may be given a sedative to help you relax. An intravenous (IV) needle may be placed in a vein in your arm to give you other medicines and fluids. You will lie on your back on a special table with your knees bent, legs apart, and your feet or thighs may be supported by stirrups. Your genital area is cleaned with an antiseptic solution, and your abdomen and thighs are covered with sterile cloths. An anesthetic gel may be injected into the urethra through a syringe to reduce discomfort if you are having local anesthesia only.

If a general anesthetic is used, you will be put to sleep either with a medicine given through an IV or by inhaling gases through a mask, or both methods may be used. If a local anesthetic is used, the anesthetic solution or jelly is inserted in your urethra.

If a spinal anesthetic is used, the area on the back where the needle will be inserted is first numbed with a local anesthetic, then the needle is guided into the spinal canal and the anesthetic is injected. A spinal anesthetic may prevent movement of the legs until the anesthetic wears off.

After the anesthetic takes effect, a well-lubricated cystoscope is inserted into your urethra and slowly advanced into your bladder. If your urethra has a spot that is too narrow to allow the scope to pass, other smaller instruments are inserted first to gradually enlarge the opening.

Once the cystoscope is inside your bladder, either sterile water or saline is injected through the scope to help expand your bladder and to create a clear view. A medicine may also be injected through the scope to reduce chances of infection. Tiny instruments may be inserted through the scope to collect tissue samples for biopsy; the tissue samples then are sent to the laboratory for analysis.

The cystoscope is usually in your bladder for only 2 to 10 minutes. However, the entire test may take up to 45 minutes or longer if other X-ray tests are done at the same time.

If a local anesthetic is used, you may be able to get up immediately after the test. If a general anesthetic is used, you will stay in the recovery room until you are awake and able to walk (usually an hour or less). You can eat and drink as soon as you are fully awake and can swallow without choking. If a spinal anesthetic was used, you will stay in the recovery room until sensation and movement below your chest returns (usually about an hour).

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Author:	Sydney Youngerman-Cole, RN, BSN, RNC	Last Updated: September 13, 2006
Medical Review:	Martin Gabica, MD - Family Medicine Tom Bailey, MD - Family Medicine Avery L. Seifert, MD - Urology
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