Health & Care Information
Read about Cystoscopy Procedure, Pain, Complications, Cost. Cystoscopy in male and female. Cystoscopy time and after effects.
Cystoscopy is the use of a cystoscope for the examination of the bladder. This is done either to look at the bladder for abnormalities or to help with surgery being performed on the inside of the urinary tract i.e. transurethral surgery.
A cystoscope is a thin, fibre optic tube that has a light and a camera at one end. It’s inserted into the urethra which is the tube that carries urine out of the body and moved up into the bladder. The camera relays images to a screen, where they can be seen by the urologist who is a specialist in treating bladder conditions.
There are two types of cystoscope:
- Flexible cystoscope: It is a thin, flexible tube used when the only purpose of a cystoscopy is to look inside your bladder.
- Rigid cystoscope: It is a thick, straight metal tube used for passing small surgical instruments down through the cystoscope to remove a tissue sample or carry out treatment.
You may need to have a cystoscopy if you experience symptoms that suggest there’s something wrong with your bladder. For example:
- Urinary incontinence (the involuntary passing of urine)
- Hematuria (Blood in your urine)
- Persistent pelvic pain
- Pain or a burning sensation when you pass urine (dysuria)
- Frequently needing to urinate
- Not being able to pass urine or only being able to pass urine intermittently
- Feeling that your bladder isn’t completely empty after passing urine.
Cystoscopy Procedure, Pain, Complications, Cost
Let’s review Cystoscopy Procedure, Pain, Complications, Cost.
Cystoscopy Procedure
Just before the cystoscopy, the patient will go to the bathroom to empty your bladder. It is required for the patient to change into a surgical gown and lie down on his back on a treatment table with feet may be positioned in stirrups. The nurse may provide with antibiotics to help prevent a bladder infection.
At this point, patient will be given anesthesia. If he get general anesthesia, this will make him unconscious for rest of the time. If he would be getting a local or regional anesthetic, sedatives may be given for relaxation and urethra will be numbed with an anesthetic spray or gel.
The patient will 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.
Flexible cystoscopes are usually used under local anesthetic, whereas general or epidural anesthetic is used with a rigid cystoscope. If the procedure is investigatory, 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.
The doctor looks through a lens as the scope enters bladder. A sterile solution will flow through to flood bladder. This makes it easier for doctor to see what’s inside is going on. The fluid might give an uncomfortable feeling of needing to urinate.
With local anesthetic, cystoscopy procedure may take less than five minutes. If patient is sedated or given general anesthesia, the entire procedure may take 15 to 30 minutes.
Cystoscopy Pain
People often fear that having a tube inserted into their urethra and up into their bladder will be painful. A cystoscopy isn’t usually painful, although it can sometimes be uncomfortable.
If you’re having a cystoscopy under a local anesthetic, you may feel a burning sensation and an urge to urinate when the cystoscope is inserted and removed from your urethra. You may also feel an uncomfortable sensation of fullness and a need to urinate when water is pumped into your bladder to expand it.
If you’re having an epidural, you may feel a brief stinging sensation when the needle is inserted into your back, and you may experience some mild back pain after the procedure. You may also have mild muscle pain and nausea after having a general anesthetic.
Cystoscopy Complications
It’s normal to have a burning sensation while urinating for a few 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, 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 aren’t able to 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. You might need antibiotics.
- Bleeding:A few people suffer from more serious bleeding.
Call your physician if you
- Develop a fever higher than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit
- Have bright red blood or clots of tissue in your urine
- Unable to void
- Have persistent stomach pain
Cystoscopy Cost
For patients not covered by health insurance, the cost of a cystoscopy can range from a about $350-$3,000 or more, depending on whether the procedure is done in a doctor’s clinic or at an ambulatory surgery center or hospital, where a facility fee, anesthesia and possibly a biopsy would be included in the cost.
