About this topic
Your kidneys make urine. It is stored in your bladder. The urethra is a tube at the bottom of the bladder. Urine flows out of this tube. Sometimes, there is a blockage and urine is not able to leave the body. ‚
A cystoscopy is a procedure that lets the doctor see the inside of your bladder and urethra. The doctor does it to: ‚
- Look for stones or tumors blocking the bladder and urethra
- Look for changes or injury inside the bladder
- Take a tissue sample from the inside of your bladder
- Look for reasons for blood in the urine, infections, or why you are passing urine often
- Look for prostate problems
What care is needed at home?
- Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do.
- Take a warm bath or use a warm wet washcloth over the opening to the urethra. This will help to ease any pain. Do this as needed.
- Drink 6 to 8 glasses of water a day.
- You may see some blood in your urine for a few days. This is normal.
- Empty your bladder as soon as you feel the need to. Dont delay going to the bathroom. It stretches and weakens the bladder.
What follow-up care is needed?
- Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep these visits.
- If you had a biopsy, talk with your doctor about the results.
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Help with pain
- Fight an infection
Will physical activity be limited?
Talk to your doctor about when you may go back to your normal activities like work, driving, or sex. ‚
What problems could happen?
- Bleeding
- Infection
- Injury to the bladder and urethra
- Discomfort in the urethra area
- Burning sensation for a short time
- Upset stomach
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Signs of infection. These include a fever of 100.4 ‚ °F (38 ‚ °C) or higher, chills, pain with passing urine.
- Pain does not go away even with drugs
- Too much blood in your urine
- Cloudy urine
- Little or no urine or not able to pass urine
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my procedure.
- I can tell you what may help ease my pain.
- I can tell you what I will do if I have a fever, chills, or am not able to pass urine.
Where can I learn more?
American Urological Association Foundation ‚
http://www.urologyhealth.org/urology/index.cfm?article=77 ‚
National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse ‚
http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/cystoscopy/index.aspx ‚
NHS Choices ‚
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Cystoscopy/Pages/Introduction.aspx ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
Copyright
Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚