My Cystoscopy experience with bladder biopsy for Urinary Hesitancy

Dear Community,

I would like to share my experience and receive suggestions/recommendations from you to deal with suffering post cystoscopy or post bladder biopsy.

Why my Cystoscopy was performed?

My Health Problem:

I'm 37 years old and past 4 months I have been facing an issue with starting urine. I found the world calls it as "Urinary Hesitancy". Although the first symptom was dull ache in lower abdomen when bladder was full. In about a month I had a delayed start to urination with no other symptoms. This only became severe.

My PSA is in normal range, urine tests didn't detect blood, white blood cells or bacterial infection. When my doctor checked my prostate I didn't feel pain. Two Ultrasound reports didn't detect any abnormalities in kidney and bladder. 1st Ultrasound showed 70 ml retention and 2nd report showed 20 ml. So voiding was not bad. As my psa and prostate felt normal, it was likely not an issue with prostate.

Thus in spite of everything showing normal , it wasn't normal for me .

My issue is during start of urine, when I go to pee it sometimes takes time even 30 secs or more to start. On few ocassions it took 1 minute or even 2 minute to start urine. On other times it comes out in 5 to 20 secs. First urine drops or a weak stream come out (after waiting for say 10-15 seconds) and then my urine starts normal with decent force and I'm able to control with sphincter. I notice when my bladder is 3/4 full I'm able to pee better . When my bladder is with less urine, it takes lot of time to start pee ( at times have taken 1 minute)

As all reports were normal, I suspected the cause was uretheral stricture. I was proved wrong after cystoscopy on 22 Feb.

Steps taken before cystoscopy

1. Started having a cup of barley water, once or twice a day. This is one of the best natural drinks I would recommend anyone and can be easily made at home by boling barley.

2. Visited 2 GP's . One of them suggested Azithromycin (for 7 days). Then had urorec for 7 days during christmas to relax prostate and allow better urination. This was useless.

3. Visited first urologist in Sydney and he suggested cystoscopy. I told him ,I wasn't mentally ready for cystoscopy so he prescribed CFLOX 500 mg for 2 weeks.

4. Visited another urologist in Sydney and he directly asked me to book cystoscopy as a day procedure. This time we had confidence that this is the only way it can be diagnosed. With lot of mental discomfort, we decided to book after 2 weeks. This allowed me and my wife to prepare.

I chose the urologist who had more and good reviews and appeared to be well known in Sydney. (Still hoping my decision is right)

5. On 22 Feb 2021, Cystoscopy was performed and due to delays from surgeon I ended up fasting for 11 hours before surgery.

Cystoscopy Experience so far:

I had a cystoscopy done on 22 Feb. I was asked to fast (except drinking water) 6 hours before the hospital admission and not to drink water 2 hours before admission.

There were too many patients for the surgeon that day and due to delays from surgeon I ended up fasting for 11 hours before surgery.

Anesthetist kept me calm, inserted an IV and asked me about my history with alergies and known reactions to GA. He then asked me to enter Operation theatre and sleep on bed. Then they injected medicine to put me to sleep and on oxygen mask .

When I woke up, I had high BP and they injected medicine to bring it down.

My urologist surgeon did not find any issue with urethra so no stricture but he found 2 abnormalities in my bladder. So he took biopsy in 2 places of bladder. I guess the main reason why I had issue with starting urine and above symptoms. Interestingly 2 ultrasound reports did not detect any abnormalities in bladder. I think ultrasound misses tiny developments in bladder.

It was very painful 1st day with bleeding urine and red blood clots on first four urine occasions. I almost had tears and was fighting for survival with every pee. Keeping legs wide and weight on both ball of foot hoping it burns less but it didn't. After several traumatic pees, burning has reduced considerably in day 2 but still feels like blades running through urine stream. Today is day 3 and I could still see urine sometimes is light brown (thinking it could be blood clot). I still have burning around penis tip and bottom urethera near tip especially when the urine stream is continuous, unsure if this is normal for Day 3. Internet search says one should get back to normal within 48 hours. I'm in Day 3 still not normal and not sure if bladder is healing.

I also got mild pain in Day 2 in abdomen guessing due to bladder biopsy. Penis sometimes leaves brown drops on underwear, I think it could be blood cloth discharge. This happened on Day 1 and Day 2 . I only concluded in Day 2 its brown drop as I wore white underwear on day 2.

I'm daily praying I get normal to life. My follow up with doctor is on 16 March to know the biopsy as well as cystoscopy findings.

I will keep you all posted on the findings and my experience here in the community.

I would be thankful if you have any suggestions on how to deal post cystoscopy and bladder biopsy, please share with me so I could come out of some suffering.

My best wishes for your situation as well, I hope you find this useful and also we all get back to normal life.

Kind regards,

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