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My Cystoscopy Experience – Far Worse in Theory Than Reality

As a guy, there are probably few medical procedures more cringe-inducing than a cystoscopy – when a urologist uses a scope to look up the urethra and into the bladder. Having just gone through the process myself, I decided to blog about this private experience. Why? Because people, especially men, have a tendency to not get medical issues checked out when they are worried about an uncomfortable test, and because the overall experience was much worse in my mind than it ended up being in reality.

Let me go back to the beginning…

A couple of months ago, my wife and I applied for some new term life insurance. As part of this process, we were asked to give a blood and urine sample.…

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 My Cystoscopy Experience – Far Worse in Theory Than Reality

As a guy, there are probably few medical procedures more cringe-inducing than a cystoscopy – when a urologist uses a scope to look up the urethra and into the bladder. Having just gone through the process myself, I decided to blog about this private experience. Why? Because people, especially men, have a tendency to not get medical issues checked out when they are worried about an uncomfortable test, and because the overall experience was much worse in my mind than it ended up being in reality.

Cystoscopy & Ureteroscopy

The risks of cystoscopy and ureteroscopy include •UTIs •abnormal bleeding •abdominal pain •a burning feeling or pain during urination •injury to the urethra, bladder, or ureters •urethral narrowing due to scar tissue formation •the inability to urinate due to swelling of surrounding tissues •complications from anesthesia

Ureteroscopy

Ureteroscopy often a good option for small stones in the ureter or kidney. Its success rate at clearing these types of stones is generally higher than that for shockwave lithotripsy. Compared with shockwave lithotripsy however, it may associated with increased discomfort after surgery, especially when a stent is required. Ureteroscopy also does not always work as well with very large stones, as the small size of the instrument makes it difficult to completely treat and remove such stones. In these cases a percutaneous approach may be preferable.

CystoSure

Women have been largely forgotten in the design and development of cystoscopy. We developed Cystosure to offer a better solution tailored for women’s needs.

eMedicineHealth

Cystoscopy is generally a safe procedure. Serious complications are rare. As with any surgery, there is the risk of infection, bleeding, and complications from the anesthesia. In all but the simplest procedures, antibiotics are used before the surgery to reduce the incidence of urinary tract infection.

Encyclopedia of Surgery

There are two types of cystoscopes used to carry out the procedure, a rigid type and a flexible type. Both types are used for the same purposes and differ only in their method of insertion. The rigid type requires that the patient adopt the lithotomy position, meaning that the patient lies on his or her back with knees up and apart. The flexible cystoscope does not require the lithotomy position. A cystoscopy typically lasts from 10–40 minutes.

Merck Manual

Cystoscopy is usually done in an outpatient setting with use of local anesthesia (urethral application of 2% lidocaine gel) or, when necessary, conscious sedation or general anesthesia. Complications include UTI, bleeding, and bladder and/or urethral trauma.

StatPearls

Phillip Bozzini, a German army surgeon, invented the first instrument to visualize the inside of a human body in 1806. He named this device the Lichtleiter. A candle and angled mirrors within the device would enable a surgeon to see inside a body cavity. The device was originally intended to view the pharynx, but it was quickly adapted to view inside the penis and urethra.