Preparing for a cystoscopy
If you are scheduled for a cystoscopy, you can prepare for the procedure by doing the following:
- You may need to stop taking certain medicines a week or more before the procedure. It depends on your doctor’s advice.
- You must follow instructions on when to stop eating and drinking. If the doctor gave instructions to take medicines on the day of cystoscopy, you must take them with only a sip of water. It is because the bladder should be empty right before the procedure.
- It is best to take a bath or shower before coming in for a cystoscopy. Applying lotions, perfumes, deodorants, or nail polish is prohibited.
- You should take off all jewellery, piercings, and contact lenses before the procedure.
During a cystoscopy
During a cystoscopy, you will have to lie down on a table on your back with your feet in stirrups and your knees bent.
Your doctor may provide anaesthesia through a vein in your arm so you won’t feel the pain of a cystoscopy. If you receive a sedative, you will feel sleepy and relaxed during the procedure, but you will still be aware of what’s going on. If so, you would need to fast 2 – 4 hours before the procedure. If you receive a general anaesthetic, you will be sleeping during the procedure.
The doctor will insert the cystoscope as he applies a numbing jelly in your urethra to help prevent pain. After waiting a few minutes for the numbing to take effect, the doctor will carefully push the cystoscope into the urethra using the smallest scope possible. Larger scopes may be needed to take tissue samples or pass surgical tools into the bladder.
The doctor will examine the inner surfaces of the urethra and bladder using the camera of the cystoscope, which will project on a video screen.
The doctor will fill your bladder with a sterile solution, which will inflate the bladder and allow your doctor to get a better look inside. As the bladder fills, you may feel the need to urinate. You may have to hold your pee until the procedure is completed.
The doctor may take tissue samples for lab testing or perform other procedures during a cystoscopy.
After a cystoscopy
After the procedure, you may be allowed to resume your daily routine. Yet, if you had sedation or general anaesthesia, the doctor may give you advice to remain in a recovery area to allow the effects of the medication to wear off before leaving.
Pain or side effects of a cystoscopy
After the procedure, you may experience the following:
- Bleeding in the urethra, which can appear bright pink in the urine or on a toilet tissue
- Burning sensation when urinating
- More frequent urination for up to 48 hours
Ways to relieve urinary discomfort
- Holding a warm, moist washcloth over the opening to the urethra may help relieve pain. You may repeat as needed.
- Take a warm bath. However, the doctor may ask you to avoid baths. It is better to clear this with your doctor first.
- Try to drink plenty of fluids for the first 2 hours after the procedure. Flushing out the bladder can reduce irritation.
Results
You may ask your doctor about the results immediately after the procedure. However, there are circumstances when the doctor may need to wait for another appointment to discuss the results. One example of this is when the patient’s cystoscopy involved collecting a biopsy to test for bladder cancer. Nevertheless, your doctor will inform you of the results once the tests are complete.
Risks/complications of a cystoscopy?
- Infection – a cystoscopy can cause germs to enter the urinary tract, leading to an infection – though this happens rarely. To prevent infection, however, the doctor may prescribe antibiotics to be taken before and after the procedure. Risk factors for developing a urinary tract infection after a cystoscopy include advanced age, smoking, and unusual anatomy in the patient’s urinary tract.
- Bleeding – a cystoscopy may cause some blood in the urine.
- Pain – you may experience abdominal pain and burning sensation when urinating. These symptoms are usually mild and slowly decrease after the procedure.