A cystography is procedure that is also known as a cystogram or retrograde cystogram. This is a procedure in which a patient’s urinary bladder is examined for any problems with the tissues of the bladder. The more popular method over this is a cystoscopy, which is basically an endoscopy procedure. This examination can also take the form of a ct cystogram as well, where a contrasting dye is used to fill the bladder and then images taken.
A cystogram test is done to check for any abnormalities in the urinary bladder. The most common use of this test is to check for urinary tract infections that might be progressing in up the urethra and posing a danger to the ureters. The test is also done to check for problems like hematuria, bladder stones, tumors, fistulae, and diverticula. The test is also the gold standard to check for the reasons of versicoureteric reflux – a condition in which urine flows back into the kidneys causing infection and inflammation of the kidneys.
The cystogram procedure requires that you first completely empty your bladder this means that you will have to skip your dose of diuretics and coffee before this test as this could interfere with the test. You will have to take off your clothes and be administered a local anesthetic. After anesthesia, you will then have to be ready to feel some discomfort as a tube goes up your urinary tract into your bladder.
The procedure should not take more than twenty minutes and involves moving a tube up the urethra and into the urinary bladder. When the tube reaches the urinary bladder, either a constrasting dye, water, or saline is sent through the tube into the bladder. This will expand the bladder to the point where the whole bladder can be seen in detail. The patient might feel the urge to urinate during this time and there might be some serious discomfort as well. Sometimes in a cystoscopy, a corrective procedure or biopsy may also be done. The patient may experience some blood in the urine after this procedure, which is temporary. Antibiotics may be prescribed to ensure that a urinary tract infection does not result from the invasive procedure. This procedure is more painful for men than women due to the narrower urethra in men than women. There are no dietary restrictions after the procedure is completed.