All you want to know about Ureteroscopy

Ureteroscopy is the process of examining the inside of the urinary tract using a device called ureteroscope. Ureteroscope is used to see beyond the bladder into the ureters in the process of ureteroscopy. It shows a clear vision of the tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder. Ureteroscopy is performed often in the case of kidney stones by the best urology doctors. By using the ureteroscope, a doctor can see a stone in the ureter and then remove it with a small basket at the end of a wire inserted through an extra channel in the ureteroscope.


Ureteroscopes are generally 2 types. One type is flexible like a thin, long straw. And the other type is more rigid and firm. Sometimes the doctor extend a flexible fiber through the scope up to the stone and then, with a laser beam shone through the fiber, break the stone into smaller pieces that can then pass out of the body in the urine. How and what the doctor or urologist will do is determined by the location, size, and composition of the stone.


The reasons for a ureteroscopy include the following conditions: 
  • Hematuria 
  • Frequent urinary tract infections (Urology Treatment recommended)
  • Unusual cells found in a urine sample
  • Urinary blockage caused by an abnormal narrowing of the ureter 
  • Kidney stone in the ureter 
  • Unusual growth, polyp, tumor, or cancer in the ureter

Now let’s look at the procedures of ureteroscopy. In the first step, local anesthetic is used to take away sensation in the ureters. Then the doctor gently inserts the tip of the ureteroscope into the urethra and slowly glides it up into the bladder. Then a sterile liquid flows through the scope to slowly fill the bladder and then stretch it so the doctor has a better view of the bladder wall. 

After the bladder is filled with liquid, patients feel some discomfort and the urge to urinate. The urology doctor then releases some of the fluid, or the patient may empty the bladder as soon as the examination is over. From the insertion time of the scope to removal may be only a few minutes, or it may be longer if the doctor finds a stone and decides to treat it. Taking a biopsy will also make the procedure last longer. In most cases, the entire examination process takes 15 to 30 minutes. 


Note: Readers can clarify further doubts from the website of Dr. Krishna Mohan, Urology specialist in Calicut and he's also one among the best urologist in Kerala.

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