BERKELEY, CA (UroToday.com) - This report of a flexible cystoscope with disposable sterile sheath could revolutionize office cystoscopy by eliminating the need for messy, caustic, and expensive sterilization processes for office staff to perform. While this is an interesting phase I type study, more importantly we are presently involved in a multi-institutional prospective, randomized study to compare this sheath cystoscope system with our regular flexible cystoscope and soak sterilization process. With 75 patients in our study group, at University of California, Irvine, we have found that the time required for disinfecting and/or setting up the cystoscopes was significantly shorter for the sheath group (11.4 min. versus 42.3 min., p<0.001). However, the cystoscope insertion was easier for the control group (9.1 versus 7.3, on an analog scale of 1 to 10, p<0.001). This is due to the slightly larger external diameter of the sheath cystoscope system compared to the regular flexible cystoscope. All other parameters including procedure time, cystoscope handling, visual acuity, and patient comfort showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups. It will be most interesting to see the cumulative results of the multi-institutional prospective randomized study when it is reported in the near future.

Urology 66: 1310-1313, June 2005