Cystoscopy

Cystoscopy is the name for a procedure allowing a doctor to look into your bladder and urethra with a special telescope called a cystoscope. The urethra is the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the body.

To help with diagnosis, a cystoscopy may be done to help to find the cause of symptoms such as:

• Loss of bladder control (incontinence) or overactive bladder

• Frequent bladder infections

• Blood in the urine (hematuria)

• Unusual cells found in a urine sample

• Pain in the bladder, urethra or during urination

• During a surgical procedure such as a hysterectomy or incontinence tape procedure to ensure there has been no damage to the bladder or the ureters

The examination is more successful than other tests, like urine tests or ultrasound, in picking up problems such as bladder stones, bleeding, tumors, and structural abnormalities of the bladder.

Two main types of cystoscopes are used: flexible or rigid. A flexible cystoscope is a thin telescope which is passed into the bladder via the urethra. It is about as thick as a pencil. Because the cystoscope is flexible, it usually passes easily along the curves of the urethra. The flexible tip can also be moved so the doctor can look at all the inside lining of the bladder and the opening of the ureters.

A rigid cystoscope is a shorter, rigid telescope. It allows a greater variety of devices to pass down side channels so that the doctor can, for example, take samples or inject into the bladder. Sometimes, it is necessary to perform a rigid cystoscopy at a later date after a flexible cystoscopy.