Cystoscopy

Cystoscopy is a procedure that allows Dr Mkhize to examine your urethra and the lining of your bladder by inserting an elongated tube with a lens at the end into the urethra and slowly advancing into the bladder. The image is then projected onto a screen for Dr Mkhize to examine.

Cystoscopy could be done in a testing room, using a local anaesthetic to numb your urethra. Or it could be done as an outpatient procedure with sedation. Another option is to have a cystoscopy in the hospital during general anaesthesia.

The kind of cystoscopy you'll have depends on the reason for your procedure.

Reasons for a Cystoscopy

A cystoscopy is used to diagnose, monitor and treat conditions affecting the bladder and urethra. For example, Dr Mkhize might recommend you have a cystoscopy to:

Investigate the causes of your symptoms.

Symptoms that Dr Mkhize should investigate can include blood in your urine, incontinence, an overactive bladder and painful or uncomfortable urination. A cystoscopy can also help us determine the cause of recurring urinary tract infections.

Diagnose bladder diseases and conditions.

A Cystoscopy can help us detect bladder cancer, bladder stones and bladder inflammation (cystitis).

Treat bladder diseases and conditions.

Dr Mkhize can pass special tools through the cystoscope to treat certain conditions. For example, Dr Mkhize might remove tiny bladder tumours during a cystoscopy.

Diagnose an enlarged prostate.

A cystoscopy can show us where the urethra narrows as it passes through the prostate gland, indicating an enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia).

Dr Mkhize might conduct a second procedure called ureteroscopy simultaneously with your cystoscopy. A ureteroscopy uses a smaller scope to examine the tubes that carry urine from your kidneys to your bladder (ureters).