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Pre-op appt tomorrow

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Posted 1/20/2011 4:57 PM (GMT 0)
Hi all! My husband is going in for his pre-op appt tomorrow. His Dr told us they would be putting a scope up his penis to have a look at his bladder. Has anyone else had this done? Does it take a while and is it uncomfortable and is there a recovery time? What should we expect?

He is having the Da Vinci on Feb 2.

Thanks for your input.
Susan
Posted 1/20/2011 5:07 PM (GMT 0)
Yep, called a cystoscope. Usually a local anestestic (SP) is used, not normally painful, may be a little uncomfortable. It might take 5 or 10 minutes, start to fi9nish. Similar to inserting and removing a catheter. Just a little bigger. There's really no recovery time. It's just a slinky hose with a light and lens at the end they use to look into the bladder and the inside of the urethra. Usually not a big deal.
Posted 1/20/2011 5:10 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Susan.

I am female and have had a few cystoscopies in my past. They are not the most pleasant way to spend a day, but they are not horrible. Just a bit uncomfortable. They fill your bladder with water as they are doing the procedure, so you feel that pressure as well.

The whole thing doesn't take a lot of time. They used some numbing gel at the urethral opening for me, I assume they would do the same for a male.

Remind your husband to drink a LOT of water afterwards so he'll urinate often. As I recall the first time stings a bit.

Good luck - hope a guy chimes in here with his experience.
Posted 1/20/2011 5:20 PM (GMT 0)
hello - the cystoscopy was the most boring and simple thing to deal with in all of this PCa experience
- just imagine it as Paparazzi of the penis
- (as stated above) filling the bladder with water and taking snapshots of the bladder wall and sphincter (doctor insert catheter - fill with water - snap snap - take out catheter - pee ) ...
- wishing you and your husband all the best .
hugs
BRONSON

p.s. remember to take note pad and list of any questions for the doctor ( my urologist doing the cystoscopy was also my surgeon) and any other medical staff you deal with that day ( I met the anesthetist and recovery room nurse that day too)
hugs again

P.P.S. my cystoscopy was done one month before surgery - the pre-op meeting happened one week before surgery .

Post Edited (tatt2man) : 1/21/2011 7:55:45 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 1/20/2011 7:44 PM (GMT 0)
good laughs!!! Thanks for keeping the info light-hearted. And thanks for the info. Dont assume this will be a big deal, but one never knows when they stick something in the penis (OUCH!!!!)
Posted 1/20/2011 8:50 PM (GMT 0)
Susan, just to give  you a different point of view, and certainly don't mean to say this is typical, but I did not enjoy the cystoscopy.  I think it was because my overly large prostate (88 cc, as I recall) was intruding into the bladder opening, making it a tight squeeze for the scope.  I would rate it at a six on a scale of 10 for pain, but not agonizing or anything.

Also, in those pre-surgery days, I was having trouble emptying my bladder, so even though the uro had me use the facilities after the procedure, I really wasn't aware he had inflated the bladder with saline.  I obviously failed to empty the bladder.  On the way home, I was completely taken by an urgent need to urinate, and actually did so right on the shoulder of the road, with my wife screening me as best she could from the view of other drivers.  So, make sure he hangs around if necessary to completely empty the saline from the bladder.

 

Posted 1/20/2011 9:02 PM (GMT 0)
Yes, had mine done before surgery. I must admit I was not looking forward to the proceedure, but the doctor had the camera inside my bladder before I could even think about it. It was also interesting to watch on the monitor as the camera snaked up the uretha, through the prostate and into the bladder.

All done and dusted within 5 minutes, with no pain just a vague uncomfortable feeling and a sharpe stinging on the first pee afterwards.

All the best from England.

Posted 1/20/2011 9:37 PM (GMT 0)
Never heard of this being done before a RP. Is it done just under particular circumstances for specific patients or do some uros do it to all pre-op patients?

The only pre-op I had to do was go to the hospital a couple of weeks in advance so they could draw some blood, do an EKG and check my blood pressure, so they determine if I was in good enough condition to be operated on.

Dan
Posted 1/20/2011 10:09 PM (GMT 0)
Mine was done because my uro had seen during the biopsy that the prostate was intruding on the bladder neck.  As he told me, he wanted to have a better look at that, and he wanted to make sure there were no tumors or anything unusual going on inside the bladder.  When he did the cysto, he said afterwards that he was very glad he had done it, because what he had seen was going to be very important to him during the DaVinci procedure.  I understood that it showed him that surgery in that area was going to be a bit more complicated than usual, and he was prepared for it after seeing the cysto results.

Posted 1/20/2011 10:28 PM (GMT 0)
I have had several "scopes" done since surgery due to strictures and blockages, but never before my prostate surgery.
Make sure they use the lydacaine gel first, and let them to allow it to numb for 5-10 minutes first. All of mine hurt, but I had painful issues going on at the time. For most men, its not too bad, best not to look, seeing it is worse then feeling it for the most part

David

P.S.  Have had-o 8 surgeries in the past 2 years, I had some pre-ops that lasted 3o minutes and some that lasted 4 hours, depended on my hospital was getting slammed at the time.

Posted 1/20/2011 11:48 PM (GMT 0)
I had one done before surgery. It was no problem. I was able to watch a monitor of the whole inside of my bladder. A good anatomy lesson. I didn't mind it at all.
Posted 1/21/2011 2:53 PM (GMT 0)
the reason I was given for my scope was to see the condition and shape of the bladder and sphincter
- to check out to see if there were any suspicious nodules and the possibility of cancer in the bladder - this was done two days prior to my biopsy - one month before surgery- to give the urologist/surgeon a good picture of what was going on down there...
- for my pre-op appointment -one week before surgery we met with the hospital nurse (pain management) - recovery room nurse ( what to expect) and the anesthetist (any allergies and what precautions needed during and after surgery -I have central and sleep apnea) ...

-they may be just doing the better safe than sorry route to check out any abnormalities -

all the best.
hugs
BRONSON

Post Edited (tatt2man) : 1/21/2011 8:00:21 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 1/21/2011 3:00 PM (GMT 0)
That was not part of my DaVinci pre-op.
Posted 1/21/2011 10:03 PM (GMT 0)
Like April6th, the only pre op stuff I'm aware of is ekg, urine test, blood work, and a letter of health needed from main dr. dude. As well as a pre=op orientation seminar.

No mention of this cystoscope thing, but now you guys have me worried, and I don't even want to ask!

W-O
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