Cystoscopy with or without local anesthesia?

Its your body. You can request sedarion for your comfort.

David Craig I just read your comment and there are no truer words my friend. The pain is ridiculous and anyone who says it's just a discomfort haven't had it done. Sheer agony is the best way to describe it. Trust me get knocked out.

I'm having to have my stent removed this week. Y'all got me scared. I'm sitting here thinking how bad I already but due to the stones I just passed and now I have this thing in my narrow ureter. All I can think of how bad it's gonna hurt getting this thing skewered out of me.

I'm 42. I had a cystoscopy three years ago outpatient so I was knocked out. My urologist told me if you are older than 62, it doesn't hurt for some reason and he can do in the office. If my age, it's agony and you need to be asleep. So I had that. I felt like I was peeing razor blades for three days. So bad, that any movement of my penis felt like the urethra was being sliced. I teared up each time I peed. First time I actually took pain pills given to me, along with Extra Strength AZO. 1.5 years later, I had a Urodynamics Test. You must be awake for it. It was horrible. But the tech that did it was great. I peed razor blades until they evening. My urologist was horrible and three years later, he wanted to do another cystoscopy as he couldn't figure out my problem. So he set me up for another cystoscopy. Nope. Not by him. He found noThing first time. Went to another urologist in a different state. He wanted to do a retrograde something. Can't recall name. They squirt radioactive fluid up your penis and take X-rays to look for stricture. Nothing found. I was in so much pain for a test that literally only took 30 seconds. I peed razor blades for two days. Couldn't move as any movement to my penis was torture. He wants to do a Urodynamics test and cystoscopy in the office on same day. Told me it's not bad. Well, I've had three tests so far and each have been excruciating with cystoscopy by far the worst and I was asleep. No way, absolutely NO WAY can I do that without anesthesia. But, doing that means making two trips to that hospital
Out of state. I remember how bad I felt with Urodynamics test. Can't imagine a cystoscopy two hours later. He kept telling me it won't be bad. I know better. I have a high pain tolerance and this is far beyond any type of normal pain. My wife is trying to tell me to do it so I get both over in one day. The thought is making me want to run away and die. That's how excruciating it was for me!!! The Tech that did my last procedure told me there would be no pain after. I guess my anatomy is different than many or nobody ever came back to her and told her otherwise.

Hi. I had a cystoscopy a week ago. I was very apprehensive not because of any pain but because of having a very tiny penis. However, the scope went in and there was no discomfort. The urologist did comment that my penis opening (Called the meatus) was very tight. I had burning afterwards, blood in semen, blood from meatus. But within a week, I am back to normal. No signs of cancer, tumors, stones. I guess because because my penis is only an inch when soft, the scope didn't have to go far. Bottom line is if you have a very good knowledgeable urologist, you'll be fine.

Found this post (a year too late) and agree with all of it. Had a cystoscopy today for exploratory purposes and the pain of two C-sections can't compare. My urethra was too narrow, so they had to stretch me out. I was in pain already which was why I was having the procedure and this was added agony. The brochure indicated local anesthetic, but the doc said it wouldn't do anything and a shot would hurt worse than the procedure. I was almost screaming; I definitely cried out a few times and the nurse told me to breathe (yeah, right). Afterwards, I could barely pee out the liquid from all the pain I was in and I was doubled over. Peeing has been agony since; don't know when it will get better. There were many others there having this procedure and they walked out as if nothing happened, so I don't know why I was in so much pain. They gave me a pyridine pill (like Azo), but it did nothing. I took Advil and Valium which was prescribed for my bladder spasms, but that hasn't helped the pain while peeing. My bladder was normal, but if I ever have to have this procedure done again, I will ABSOLUTELY insist to be put under. Not a chance in hell I'll do it awake again. Just thinking about it makes me want to vomit.

I had a Cystoscopy with lidocaine applied by a nurse with no Anesthesiologist is sight and really felt nothing. The only pain was receiving a bill for $330 from the Anesthesiologist for services not performed (i.e., general Anesthesia with all the effect of a Valium pill). In March 2018 when I had a Urolift, I was assured (twice) by the Urologist before the procedure that I would not receive a bill for the general anesthesia. I still received a bill for $440 which I'm contesting.

I just had a flexible cysto, in-office, with lidocaine gel (watied 15 minutes). I begged for some kind of sedative but they insisted I wouldn't need it. They said it would be uncomfortable but not painful. They lied. It was hell. From the beginning. Injecting the gel hurt! Instant hydraulic pressure in the wrong direction, against your most sensitive nerve in your body. Then the cysto itself, . . . I didn't last ten seconds, the didn't get in two inches. It felt like an electric shock and a soldering iron stuck right into my prostate. I screamed as loud as I ever have in my life. Now they have me scheduled for in-hospital with full general anesthesia with a straight scope. I am worried about how bad it is going to hurt afterwards. I am going to ask beforehand if they will prescribe something for pain. If not, I am going to cancel. Why is the patient the last one anyone cares about?

So two weeks later after the botched in-office flexible, with Lido gel only, which hurt like hell, I had the in-hospital with full anesthesia. Prep wasn't so bad, just wheeled me in an knocked me out. But when I woke up, it hurt pretty bad. The doc disappeared immediately, so now I have to wait a whole damn week, not for any lab results, just to find out what he saw. The patient is the last one its about.

I had one about a month and a half ago. The Urologist said he needed to determine if HoLEP procedure would work or something less invasive. The nurse inserted the anesthic gel with Lidocaine and said it would dull the feeling. 10 minutes later the Dr. came in and inserted the device. OMG the pain was incredible. I'm not sure I will agree to do this procedure without true anesthesia. I asked the Dr. how many men choose to have this done in the hospital and he said 60-70%. Next time that will be me. This procedure is much more painful for men because the urethra is so much longer in men versus women. Women have maybe an inch or two while men have that plus the length of the flaccid penis. I wonder if men have more nerves in their urethra versus women? In any event, this hurts like hell and I really mean it. OMG I wanted to die! Afterward, I had some blood in the urine and I had burning pain when urinating for a few times that day. 

I've had 3 rigid cystos all done under some level of sedation. I don't know if I was conscious during the procedures but have no memory of them other than "this might burn a little going into your vein," then lights out. I had no issues after the procedures other than 24-48 hours of varying degrees of discomfort while peeing.

When I had a urodynamics study done (which is without any sedation) the nurse/tech injected the lidocaine gel which wasn't bad. The special catheter she then inserted didn't bother me much until it hit my prostate at which point I cringed from the pain, which she said made the pain worse. But once she got it into my bladder I had no issues at all, including when she pulled it out.

Bottom line, if your uro says he/she's going to do an in-office cysto even with a flexible scope, just say no. From the uro's point of view it will take them longer to find out if anything's wrong and I can see it being inconvenient for them to not just go ahead and have quick look. From the patient's point of view, what's another week or two and a few hundred dollars in co-pay for the ambulatory surgical facility and anesthesiologist? Easy decision.

I had one today. There was no anaesthesia used. It was extremely painful and I have a high pain tolerance. I felt as though the doctor and nurse had mislead me about the pricedure. I question why this is done in this manner.

Had a cystoscopy today September 20th 2019 in a private Clinic even though healthcare is free in Canada for the simple reason I read most of the posts here and was not ready to have pain and suffering while I have the money to buy a painless test in a private clinic while the normal urologist would not bother.
I asked for the best pain reliever and I was offered the inhaler PENTHROX, it cost $70 plus $550 for the test, at the first 5 puffs I was gone, the nurse woke me up to tell me it was over, never felt a thing, they told me I was down 3 minutes and I recovered within 10 minutes, my wife drove me home.
I highly recommend for all men to ask prior to going for the test to have the drug PENTHROX to have a pain free Camera through the pee hole.

Same here, agony, and I hollered. The urologist said I wouldn't need anything...wanting to scream every time I peed for months after, too. Finally went to emerge to learn I had a nasty bladder infection after, and needed intravenous antibiotics. This two days after the follow up.

In a Nazi concentration camp the infliction of pain was torture. In an Ontario hospital it's okay because it saves money. Meanwhile new Canadians clog up the ERs and drain funds with colds, tummy aches and cut fingers because no-one tells them when hospital use is appropriate, to the tune of hundreds of dollars per visit.

I just want to point out that I've had this done twice and it's not that bad, it's not pleasant and it is a bit painful but it's not agony or anything. They use local anesthetic to numb the entry point but you still feel a little sharp pain at the start, you also feel a similar sensation at the prostate or whatever.