Cystoscopy is a procedure healthcare providers use to view the inside of your bladder and urethra (the tube that drains pee from your bladder out of your body). A urologist performs it with a lighted device with a camera or viewing lens (cystoscope).
Urologists use cystoscopies to diagnose and treat urinary tract problems. They can use it to rule out serious conditions, like bladder cancer, as a cause of your symptoms. Your urologist may also use a cystoscope to:
1. Get urine samples from your ureters (the tubes that carry pee from your kidneys to your bladder).
2. Inject dye for procedures that track urine flow.
3. Inject medication to stop leaking pee.
4. Remove a ureteral stent (a tiny tube that holds open your ureter) placed during an earlier procedure.
5. Remove bladder stones, abnormal tissue, polyps or tumors.
6. Take small pieces of bladder or urethral tissue for biopsy (examination in a lab).
7. Treat urethral strictures or fistulas (holes that form between two areas).
