The procedure usually takes less than 5 minutes and is done on an outpatient basis. You will need to empty your bladder and lie down on the examination table, before being given a local anesthetic. A thin, lit telescope called a cystoscope is inserted through the urethra into the bladder. Water or saline is instilled into the bladder through the cystoscope to dilate the passage. As the fluid fills the bladder, the bladder wall is stretched and your urologist is afforded a detailed view. If the tissue appears abnormal, a small biopsy can be taken through the cystoscope to be analyzed. Foreign bodies or stones can also be removed this way