Cystotomy

Overview

A cystotomy is a surgical procedure for dogs and cats that requires the opening of the bladder. There are multiple reasons a veterinarian may perform a cystotomy, but the most common are to treat an identified problem such as a tumor, removal of bladder stones, or urethral obstructions, or to collect a biopsy or conduct an exploratory. In some cases a cystotomy is used to diagnose a problem that previous diagnostic tests happened to miss.

What can I expect?

A general health assessment, usually including blood work and radiographs, will be conducted on your pet prior to the surgery before they are placed under an anesthesia. After the surgical removal of obstructions and/or biopsy is performed, your pet's bladder and abdomen wall will be closed back up. In some cases, x-rays, catheters, and sterile saline solutions will be used.