Having your stent removed with flexible cystoscopy 

Information for patients 

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What is this information about?

This information is about having the stent in your ureter removed using ‘flexible cystoscopy’.  

Your ureters are two tubes that carry your pee (urine) from your kidney to your bladder.  

The stent is a thin, flexible, hollow tube placed inside a ureter. It helps to hold your ureter open if it has become blocked or narrowed so that your pee can drain away as it should.   

This information explains: 

• what flexible cystoscopy is 
• how the stent is removed using flexible cystoscopy 
• where you will have your stent removal procedure 
• what happens on the day of your stent removal and what to expect during the removal 
• what to expect and what to look out for after the procedure 
• who to contact if you need further information or support

Why have I been given this information?

You have been given this information because your urologist has found that you no longer need to have the stent in your ureter. You are due to have a flexible cystoscopy procedure to remove the stent. Reading this information will help you: 

• know what to expect from having a flexible cystoscopy and prepare for it 
• know what to expect after your procedure including what side effects it may have and what to do if you have them 

What is flexible cystoscopy?

• A flexible cystoscopy is a procedure that allows a healthcare professional to look inside your bladder. 
• A long, thin tube (like a very small telescope) with a small camera (cystoscope) inside it is gently put into your urethra and moved through it into your bladder. The tube can bend (flex) easily as it passes through your urethra and into your bladder. Because of this it is called a ‘flexible cystoscopy’. 

Is having a flexible cystoscopy painful?

Just before you have your cystoscopy, we will give you local anaesthetic gel into your urethra so that your urethra is numb. This means you should feel little or no pain.  

Because the cystoscope tube is thin and bendy it can be passed through your urethra, bladder and ureter with only a little discomfort to you.  

Most people do not need to have a general anaesthetic (where you’re given medicine so that you’re asleep (unconscious) and do not feel anything during a procedure) to have a flexible cystoscopy.  

You will be lying flat in a comfortable position while you have your flexible cystoscopy. 

How do you remove my stent using flexible cystoscopy?

Your stent will be removed by a healthcare professional who has had special training in doing this. 

They will: 

• pass a small forceps (tweezers) through the telescope tube to grab one end of the stent 
• pull the stent out slowly. The telescope comes out at the same time.

Where will I have stent removed?

We will remove your stent in the Urology Department at the Princess Royal Hospital, Haywards Heath. Please see your appointment letter for directions.  

What should I do to prepare for my stent removal?

You do not need to prepare in any special way. 

• You can eat and drink as usual before your stent removal procedure.  
• Most people can leave the Urology Department (and drive) shortly after their procedure. 

What happens on the day of my procedure?

• Please check-in at the Urology Department reception when you arrive 
• Just before your procedure we will ask you to: 
  • change into a hospital gown 
  • give us a sample of your pee (urine) 
• We will take you to the procedure room.  
• When you are in the procedure room: 
  • a healthcare professional will explain the whole procedure to you. Do ask if you have any questions or would like anything explained further. 
  • The healthcare professional will check that you have understood what the procedure involves and that you agree (consent) to have it done. They will ask you to sign a consent form to show that you agree to have the procedure. 

What happens during the procedure?

1. You’ll be asked to lie down on a couch or bed. The area around your urethra will be cleaned. 

2. We will use local anaesthetic gel around and in your urethra. This numbs your urethra so you should not feel pain. It also: 

• lubricates your urethra so the ‘telescope’ (cystoscope) can pass into and through it easily 

• reduces the risk that you may get an infection after your cystoscopy 

3. The area around your urethra will be covered with a sterile paper sheet and sterile paper towels 

4. The tip of the cystoscope is placed into your urethra, and the cystoscope is carefully passed into your bladder. The ring of muscles that control the flow of pee from the bladder out of the body (the sphincter) can be sensitive as the cystoscope passes through them. We may ask you to take a deep breath or to try to pee to relax the sphincter and allow the cystoscope to pass through more easily. 

5. When the tip of the cystoscope is inside the bladder, we can move it around so we can see all of the inside of the bladder 

6. Fluid (saline) is pumped into your bladder. This smooths your bladder lining and makes it easier for us to see all of the inside of your bladder. It is usual for your bladder to feel full towards the end of the procedure 

7. Once it can be seen clearly, we grip the stent with the forceps and pull it out. 

8. Your bladder may be empty at the end of the procedure, or we may ask you to have a pee in a toilet. 

A flexible cystoscopy usually takes 10 to 15 minutes. 

What can I expect after the procedure?

It is unlikely that you will have any major side effects or complications after your flexible cystoscopy and stent removal. Most people do not. 

More usual side effects include: 

• mild, burning discomfort when you pee. This may last for one or two days. 
• a small amount of bleeding. 

Some people do get a urine infection after the procedure. 

We do not usually give antibiotics to reduce the chance that people may get an infection. Some people may be given antibiotics if the doctor thinks: 

• that the person already has an infection. 
• there is a high chance that the person may get an infection 

Are there any symptoms that I may get after my procedure that mean I should contact my GP surgery straight away?

Who can I contact if I:

• need advice or have any problems on the day of my procedure? 
• find it difficult to pee after my procedure? 

Please contact us using the contact details below: