This article is for educational purposes only. It should not be used as a template for consenting patients. The person obtaining consent should have clear knowledge of the procedure and the potential risks and complications. Always refer to your local or national guidelines, and the applicable and appropriate law in your jurisdiction governing patient consent.
Overview of Procedure
A rigid cystoscopy is a basic urological procedure that allows direct visual inspection of the urethra and bladder, however must be done under general anaesthesia (or spinal)
It can be used to facilitate insertion/removal of stents and administration of medication into the bladder neck, bladder, or ureteral orifices, as well as providing retrograde intraluminal access to the ureters and kidneys.
Complications
Intraoperative
| Complication | Description of Complication | Potential Ways to Reduce Risk |
| Haemorrhage | Damage or abrasion or lining of urethra, bladder can cause minor bleeding, resulting in haematuria | Careful and meticulous handling of the scope to avoid damage |
| Damage to surrounding structures | Damage can occur to the urethra, bladder, or ureters during the procedure | Use of an appropriate sized scope |
| Allergic reaction | Local anaesthetic toxicity or reaction to instruments used | |
| Anaesthetic Risk | Includes damage to the teeth, throat and larynx, reaction to medications, nausea and vomiting, cardiovascular and respiratory complications | Forms a part of the anaesthetist assessment before the operation |
Early
| Complication | Description of Complication | Potential Ways to Reduce Risk |
| Pain
|
Dysuria from the instrumentation used and urethral dilation from the scope | Use of instillagel into the urethra and simple analgesia post-operatively |
| Infection | Infection can be introduced by the instrumentation, however the overall risk is very low | Maintain an aseptic technique throughout the procedure |
| Blood Clots | DVTs and PEs are a possibility in any operation, yet often cytsoscopies are short procedures so the risk is low | The patient will be given anti-embolism stocking and low molecular weight heparin peri-operatively to minimise this risk, as deemed appropriate |
Late
| Complication | Description of Complication | Potential Ways to Reduce Risk |
| Urethral stricture | Recurrent cystoscopies can result in potential urethral strictures developing |