How should I prepare an adult male for diagnostic or operative cystoscopy regarding bladder filling, bowel preparation, anticoagulant and antiplatelet management, urine testing, prophylactic antibiotics, topical anesthetic, sedation, allergies, and medication adjustments?

Cystoscopy Preparation for Adult Males

For diagnostic or operative cystoscopy in adult males, antibiotic prophylaxis is NOT routinely required for simple procedures in healthy patients, but topical intraurethral anesthetic (10 cc of 2% lidocaine gel) should be administered, and patients should be counseled about expected symptoms including pain, hematuria, and dysuria within the first 48 hours. 1, 2, 3

Antibiotic Prophylaxis

• Do NOT administer prophylactic antibiotics for simple outpatient diagnostic cystoscopy in healthy adults without signs of infection 1
• Baseline UTI rate after cystoscopy without prophylaxis is only 3% in placebo-controlled trials 1
• Studies show no significant difference in post-cystoscopy UTI rates with or without prophylaxis in uncomplicated cases 1, 4

When Antibiotics ARE Indicated:

• Administer single-dose prophylaxis if the patient has:
  • Neurogenic bladder dysfunction 1
  • Immunosuppression (transplant recipients) 1
  • Known urinary tract abnormalities with recent instrumentation 1
  • Recent antibiotic use (higher resistance risk) 1
• Options include trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, first- or second-generation cephalosporins, amoxicillin/clavulanate, or aminoglycoside-ampicillin 1
• Give oral dose within 1 hour before the procedure 1

Urine Testing

• Obtain urinalysis (dipstick or microscopy) before the procedure 1
• Do NOT perform urine culture in asymptomatic patients without specific risk factors 1
• If pyuria is present on preprocedure urinalysis, there is significantly increased risk of post-procedure bacteriuria (P <0.01) 4
• Treat active UTI before elective cystoscopy; defer procedure until infection resolves 1

Topical Anesthetic

• Administer 10 cc of 2% viscous lidocaine intraurethrally before flexible cystoscopy 3, 5
• Apply water-soluble lubricant to the endoscope 3, 5
• No systemic sedatives or analgesics are typically required for diagnostic flexible cystoscopy 5

Anticoagulant and Antiplatelet Management

• Flexible cystoscopy is classified as LOW bleeding risk and can typically proceed without interrupting anticoagulation 1
• For diagnostic cystoscopy with ureteral catheterization or stent removal, continuation of anticoagulation is generally safe 1
• Refer to internal medicine/cardiology for patients on anticoagulation if operative cystoscopy with biopsy or resection is planned 1
• Rigid cystoscopy with tissue sampling carries higher bleeding risk and may require anticoagulation adjustment 1

Bladder Filling

• No specific bladder filling protocol is required for routine diagnostic cystoscopy 3
• The bladder is filled with sterile irrigant (typically normal saline) during the procedure under direct visualization 3
• For patients with suspected bladder outlet obstruction, consider measuring post-void residual before the procedure 1

Bowel Preparation

• No bowel preparation is needed for standard cystoscopy 1
• Bowel preparation is only relevant for procedures involving bowel segments (e.g., augmentation cystoplasty), which is not applicable to diagnostic or simple operative cystoscopy 1

Patient Education and Informed Consent

• Counsel patients about expected complications before the procedure 1, 2:
  • Pain and discomfort during and immediately after 1, 2
  • Hematuria (blood in urine) 1, 2
  • Dysuria (painful urination) 1, 2
  • Possible UTI 1, 2
• 91-92% of serious complications (perforation) present within 48 hours, with most symptoms appearing in the first 24 hours 2
• 99.5% of patients report willingness to undergo the procedure again, and 82.5% find it less uncomfortable than expected 4

Pain Reduction Strategy:

• Allow patients to view the video monitor during the procedure—this reduces pain scores by approximately 40% (visual analog scale: 14 vs 23, p=0.02) 5
• This distraction technique is a simple, evidence-based method to improve patient comfort 5

Allergy Assessment

• Screen for lidocaine/local anesthetic allergies before administering intraurethral anesthetic 3
• Assess for latex allergy if using latex gloves or equipment 3
• Document any antibiotic allergies if prophylaxis is indicated 1

Medication Adjustments

• Alpha-blockers do NOT need to be held before cystoscopy 1
• 5-alpha reductase inhibitors do NOT need adjustment 1
• Metformin does NOT require adjustment for cystoscopy without contrast imaging 1
• For patients on immunosuppression, coordinate with transplant team but do not routinely adjust medications 1

Sedation

• Sedation is NOT routinely required for flexible cystoscopy in males 3, 5
• Topical anesthetic alone is sufficient for diagnostic procedures 3, 5
• For operative cystoscopy with resection or extensive biopsy, consider procedural sedation or general anesthesia based on the planned intervention 1

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

• Do NOT give prophylactic antibiotics to all patients—this increases resistance without benefit in low-risk cases 1, 4
• Do NOT perform screening urine cultures in asymptomatic patients—this leads to unnecessary antibiotic treatment of colonization 1
• Do NOT position the video screen away from the patient—allowing visualization significantly reduces pain 5
• Do NOT proceed with elective cystoscopy if active UTI symptoms are present—treat infection first 1