Cystoscopy
Overview
Cystoscopy is endoscopy
of the urinary bladder
via the urethra
. It is carried out with a cystoscope.
Diagnostic cystoscopy is usually carried out with local anaesthesia. General anaesthesia
is sometimes used for operative cystoscopic procedures.
The urethra
is the tube that carries urine
from the bladder to the outside of the body.
The cystoscope has lenses like a telescope
or microscope
. These lenses let the doctor focus on the inner surfaces of the urinary tract.
Endoscopy
Endoscopy means looking inside and typically refers to looking inside the body for medical reasons using an endoscope , an instrument used to examine the interior of a hollow organ or cavity of the body. Unlike most other medical imaging devices, endoscopes are inserted directly into the organ...
of the urinary bladder
Urinary bladder
The urinary bladder is the organ that collects urine excreted by the kidneys before disposal by urination. A hollow muscular, and distensible organ, the bladder sits on the pelvic floor...
via the urethra
Urethra
In anatomy, the urethra is a tube that connects the urinary bladder to the genitals for the removal of fluids out of the body. In males, the urethra travels through the penis, and carries semen as well as urine...
. It is carried out with a cystoscope.
Diagnostic cystoscopy is usually carried out with local anaesthesia. General anaesthesia
General anaesthesia
General anaesthesia is a state of unconsciousness and loss of protective reflexes resulting from the administration of one or more general anaesthetic agents...
is sometimes used for operative cystoscopic procedures.
The urethra
Urethra
In anatomy, the urethra is a tube that connects the urinary bladder to the genitals for the removal of fluids out of the body. In males, the urethra travels through the penis, and carries semen as well as urine...
is the tube that carries urine
Urine
Urine is a typically sterile liquid by-product of the body that is secreted by the kidneys through a process called urination and excreted through the urethra. Cellular metabolism generates numerous by-products, many rich in nitrogen, that require elimination from the bloodstream...
from the bladder to the outside of the body.
The cystoscope has lenses like a telescope
Telescope
A telescope is an instrument that aids in the observation of remote objects by collecting electromagnetic radiation . The first known practical telescopes were invented in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 1600s , using glass lenses...
or microscope
Microscope
A microscope is an instrument used to see objects that are too small for the naked eye. The science of investigating small objects using such an instrument is called microscopy...
. These lenses let the doctor focus on the inner surfaces of the urinary tract.
