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Cystoscopy


Transcript

Your doctor will perform a cystoscopy to diagnose conditions of your urinary tract.

Your urinary system, or urinary tract, produces urine and excretes it from the body

It includes the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra.

In men, the prostate gland wraps around the urethra at the base of the bladder.

As blood circulates, it passes through the kidneys where wastes and extra fluid are removed to create urine.

The urine then moves down the ureters to be stored in the bladder, an expandable, balloon-shaped muscle.

During urination, urine leaves the bladder through the urethra, and is expelled from the body.

By allowing your doctor to view the interior of the urethra, bladder, and the openings of the ureters, a cystoscopy may reveal the following conditions:

An unusual growth, such as a polyp, cyst, or tumor,

A stone in or near the bladder,

Chronic inflammation or infection,

A stricture, or narrowing, of the urethra

Enlargement of the prostate gland, or Ulcers in the bladder wall.

Before your procedure, an IV line may be inserted into your vein to provide medication.

Your doctor will begin by applying a local anesthetic to numb the area.

Once the area is numbed, he or she will gently insert the tip of a cystoscope into the urethra and slowly advance it up into the bladder.

The end of the cystoscope contains a light source and lenses, which project images through an eyepiece and onto a video screen.

By introducing a clear sterile solution, you doctor will expand the bladder.

He or she will carefully examine the lining of the bladder and urethra

by looking through the eyepiece on the cystoscope, as well as by viewing images projected onto the video screen.

When your doctor is finished the scope will be removed.

Your doctor can tell you what was seen immediately after the test.

If a biopsy was taken, results are usually available in a few days.

This procedure usually lasts about 2-10 minutes.

You will usually be able to go home soon after your cystoscopy.

Your doctor will likely prescribe antibiotics to prevent an infection and may offer you medications to treat any lingering discomfort.