What is Cystourethroscopy

A cystourethroscopy and a cystoscopy are synonymous terms that are used to describe a type of endoscopic procedure used to examine the urinary bladder. The urinary bladder is an organ of the body that is one of those that we are frequently reminded about because of the need to urinate. The urinary system in the body begins at the kidneys, which are basically a filtration organ that works by using the principle of a sieve. As blood flows through the kidneys, most of the contents of blood are not allowed to pass through because they are too big, whatever does pass through has to deal with even smaller intercellular spaces to move through causing even further filtering. At the end of this multi-stage filtering, urine is the end product that then trickles down the ureters into the urinary bladder. The final act is then complete when the feeling of fullness of the bladder is experienced and we then expel the urine.

Reasons for Cystourethroscopy

Problems can occur in the urinary bladder due a variety of reasons, the most common of them being urinary infections or cystitis. This is something that women experience very often because their urethra, or the tube that connects the bladder to the urinary opening, is much shorter than in men. This infection is something that causes much discomfort and pain during urination. The problem can really be aggravated when there is a reflux of urine from the urinary bladder upwards towards the kidneys. This will cause an infection of the kidneys or pyelonephritis; a condition that is so severe that it will cause you to end up in intensive care.

Procedure to Conduct Cystourethroscopy

The procedure of a cystoscopy requires an anesthetic to be administered and a thin endoscope to be run up the urinary tract into the bladder. Here, the bladder is filled up with a saline or a neutral fluid. This will inflate the bladder and allow the nephrologist to then see the bladder in complete view. From here, some kind of minor surgery can also be done. Nowadays, most kidney stone operations are done in this way. After the procedure, there is the possibility of infections so ciprofloxacin is usually advised after the procedure or sometimes even before. There is also a burning sensation and a level of discomfort can occur when the bladder is forced to remain full while the endoscopy is in progress. This goes away at the end of the procedure.