​You will be asked to lie down on a special bed, and your genital area will be cleaned with antiseptic solution. Local anaesthetic gel will be used to numb the urinary passage.

During the procedure, a thin (pencil-sized) lighted cystoscope is used. You will remain awake during the short procedure.

The cystoscope is slowly advanced into your bladder. You may look at the real-time video image on the television screen. The doctor will explain to you what is happening.

In our centre, we use enhanced imaging techniques called narrow band imaging and fluorescence imaging to improve diagnostic accuracy.

Cystoscopy can be uncomfortable, but it should not be painful for most patients. The entire procedure generally lasts only a few minutes. After the cystoscope is removed, you may need to go to the toilet to empty your bladder, before changing back into your own clothes.

​Your doctor will discuss the results of the cystoscopy after the procedure. You can usually go home shortly after a flexible cystoscopy.

Call the clinic or go to the Emergency department if you experience the following after a flexible cystoscopy: inability to urinate, persistent bright red blood or clots in your urine, fever and chills, or painful urination that lasts more than 2 days.