Recently diagnosed & scared

I am not in your shoes but, I tell myself the cysto is usually no more than 5-10 minutes and it is over. Is it fun? No! However, I wouldn't want an OR visit as I have been knocked out too many times for worse things. Carotid, triple bypass, torn wrist ligaments, 2 hernias and other diagnostic tests. Cystos are a piece of cake after those others.

Maybe my post wasn't clear.  Cystoscopy (done in the office) and a TURB (transurethral resection of the bladder) are two different procedures with different purposes.  The samples your doctor "pinched off" during an office cystoscopy were sort of like urine cytology.  IF they indicate the presence of cancer it would be necessary to have a TURB under general anesthesia to remove all visible cancer and determine the extent of it as well as the grade.  This would not be possible in an office cystoscopy.  

I suspect that your urologist doesn't think cancer has returned, but is just making sure that what he sees during your follow-up is NOT cancer.  If the samples indicate that there IS cancer, he would do a TURB in the hospital.  Follow-up cystoscopy is never done under general anesthesia in the hospital.  

If he recommends a TURB is is essential that it be done,

Sara Anne

The reason that a TURB (not cystoscopy)  is done in the hospital under anesthesia is that it would  be PAINFUL.  The urologist is not only removing samples for biopsy but also removing as much of the tumor(s) as he can.  During your recent cystoscopy the urologist snipped very small samples to send for testing.  IF they turn out to be cancerous he will need to a.  remove them completely from the bladder and b.  take other samples from multiple sites to send to the pathology lab.  During a TURB the urologist also tries to include small samples of muscle tissue near suspected tumor sites to be sure that any cancer present has not invaded the underlying muscle.

Just as you, I had very small samples taken during a cystoscopy.  My bladder showed what appeared to be irritation cystitis from the BCG but the urologist wanted to be sure that the cancer had not returned.  He told me what he was going to do and asked it I thought I could endure it.  I said yes.  It was over quickly but did really hurt for a few seconds.  I wouldn't want to do it again!!  But the tissue samples showed what  the urologist already thought...no return of cancer, but irritation from the BCG.

Sara Anne