A cystoscopy is a procedure that your physician may order to view and monitor the lining of the bladder and urethra. The urethra is the tube that carries urine out of the body. A cystoscope is a tube with a lens that is inserted into the urethra and goes towards the bladder. The procedure can be done in the hospital or as an outpatient procedure. The type of procedure that your physician orders will depend on the reason behind the procedure.
This procedure is very short and simple. If it is done as an outpatient surgery, then it may last between five to fifteen minutes. If it is done in the hospital with sedation, then it typically lasts around thirty minutes.
