Cystoscopy is a procedure that allows the urologist to examine the inside of the bladder (where urine is stored) and the inside of the urethra (the tube that helps urine to flow out of the bladder). During this procedure, the urologist uses a hollow tube, named as cystoscope to see inside the patient’s urinary system especially the lining of the bladder and the tube (urethra). The cystoscope is equipped with an advanced lens and is inserted into the patient’s urethra and then slowly into the bladder. This procedure is mainly used to check any issues or problems inside the lower urinary tract and is specifically used to check the bladder lining problems.
Sometimes, cystoscopy can be done to remove unwanted particle such as bladder stone from the bladder. This procedure may be used to take a biopsy or a sample tissue from the bladder lining to detect bladder cancer. Moreover, cystoscopy can also be used to place a catheter (thin drainage tube of urine).