What is Cystoscopy?
A cystoscopy may be recommended by our doctor to help diagnose any problems with your bladder or urethra. They may be investigating the source of an infection, bleeding, incontinence, or other bladder problems. A cystoscopy procedure in the treatment suite usually takes about 10 minutes. Your cystoscopy could be performed under local anaesthesia (outpatient flexible cystoscopy), general anaesthesia, or sedation (day case admission to hospital).
For local anaesthesia, a gel will numb the area around your urethra. You will be given a sedative injection. You'll be lying on your back when your consultant inserts the cystoscope (a thin tube with a camera) into your urethra. The cystoscope creates an image of the inside of your bladder on the screen. To provide a clearer picture, sterile water is sometimes pumped into your bladder. A tissue sample may be taken by your consultant (biopsy).
