What Is Ureteroscopy?

The letter says you're booked for a ureteroscopy, and the word itself doesn't give much away. Here's the short version: it's a camera examination of the upper urinary tract, done with a very slim telescope that travels through the body's natural passages — no cuts, no incisions. The video at the top of this page, "Ureteroscopy procedure" (about four minutes and fifteen seconds), is a general introduction to exactly that: it explains that a ureteroscope is an instrument for examining the inside of the urinary tract, that small instruments can be passed through it to treat problems or take a biopsy, and that for this procedure the scope is passed through the bladder and on into a ureter. What follows is the day as you'll actually experience it.

Before the day: why this test, and how you prepare

Ureteroscopy is usually booked for one of a few reasons. The commonest is a stone that's stuck in the ureter — the narrow tube carrying urine from kidney to bladder — or sitting in the kidney itself; our kidney stones hub covers how stones form and the symptoms they cause. It's also how a urologist gets a direct look at something a scan has flagged inside the ureter or kidney — an area of narrowing, or tissue that needs a closer inspection or a small biopsy sample. In other words, the scope is both a camera and a working channel: the team can simply look, or they can act on what they find during the same visit.

Preparation is mostly practical. You'll be told when to stop eating and drinking, because the procedure is normally done with you asleep under a general anaesthetic, or sometimes with a spinal anaesthetic instead. Expect a urine test beforehand — an untreated urinary infection and a scope procedure don't mix, so the team checks first — and bring a list of your medicines, especially anything that thins the blood, so the team can advise you about them in advance.

During the procedure: the journey the scope takes

Once you're asleep, the urologist passes the ureteroscope through the urethra — the body's natural exit for urine — and across the bladder, then guides it into the opening of the ureter and slowly up towards the kidney. You'll sometimes hear scopes described as rigid or flexible: flexible scopes can curve, which is how the instrument can turn into the kidney's collecting spaces and look around corners a straight instrument couldn't reach. Sterile fluid flows gently through the scope to keep the view clear, and everything the camera sees appears on a monitor in the room.

What happens next depends on what the camera finds. If it's a stone, small instruments passed through the scope can deal with it on the spot — most often a laser fibre that breaks it into fragments, which is a treatment in its own right called lithotripsy; we walk through that side of things in our guide to lithotripsy for kidney stones, and the video there — "Ureteroscopy and Intracorporeal Lithotripsy (Using Holmium Laser)" — shows a ureteral stone being treated that way after shock-wave treatment hadn't cleared it. If the team needs tissue, tiny forceps can take a biopsy through the same channel. And if the ureter looks narrow, the scope examination is what tells the team exactly where and how tight the narrowing is.

The stent question

Before you leave, ask one question: "Do I have a stent, and if so, when does it come out?" A ureteral stent is a soft, thin tube placed inside the ureter, one end coiled in the kidney and the other in the bladder, that keeps urine draining freely while the ureter settles after the scope has passed through it. Not everyone needs one — it depends on what was done and how the ureter looks at the end — but if you do have one, it's the thing you'll notice most during recovery. It can make you feel as though you need to pass urine more often, cause a dull ache in the side when you do, and it's usually removed at a short follow-up appointment, sometimes with a thin string left in place so it can be pulled out without another scope. Knowing the removal date before you go home saves a lot of wondering.

The first days at home

Most people go home the same day. Expect some stinging when you pass urine for a day or two, and don't be alarmed if the urine looks pink at first — small amounts of blood are common after instruments have been in the urinary tract, and drinking well helps it clear. A stone fragment occasionally passes during these days too, which can bring a brief twinge; if you were given a strainer, catching a fragment lets the lab analyse what your stones are made of, which feeds into preventing the next one — the wider picture is in our article on what a kidney stone is and how it is treated. Follow-up usually pairs a check that everything has cleared with a review of kidney function, and if your team is tracking that side of things, our eGFR calculator explains the blood-test number they use. Do seek help promptly, though, for fever or shivering, pain you can't control, heavy or clotting bleeding, or finding you can't pass urine at all — those aren't part of normal recovery.

References & further reading

- MedlinePlus — Ureteroscopy (Medical Encyclopedia): https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/007593.htm
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases — Treatment for Kidney Stones: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/urologic-diseases/kidney-stones/treatment
- MedlinePlus — Kidney Stones: https://medlineplus.gov/kidneystones.html

MedicalVideos.com has published trusted medical videos since 2007. The site was founded by Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim, MD, PhD — physician-scientist.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does ureteroscopy involve any cuts?
No. The scope travels through the urethra and bladder and up the ureter — the body's natural passages — so there are no incisions and no wound to heal on the skin.

Will I be asleep during ureteroscopy?
Usually, yes. It's normally done under a general anaesthetic, sometimes a spinal anaesthetic, so you stay still and comfortable while the scope is guided into place. Your team will confirm the plan beforehand.

What is a ureteral stent, and will I need one?
A stent is a soft, thin internal tube that keeps urine draining from kidney to bladder while the ureter settles after the procedure. Not everyone needs one; if you do, you'll be told when and how it will be removed — often at a short follow-up appointment.

Is ureteroscopy the same as lithotripsy?
Not quite. Ureteroscopy is the camera procedure that reaches the stone; lithotripsy is the breaking of the stone into fragments, which can be done through the scope with a laser during the same visit, or from outside the body with shock waves.

How soon can I get back to normal activities?
Most people go home the same day and ease back into normal routines over the following days, guided by how they feel and whether a stent is in place. Your team will give you personal guidance before you leave.

This article is for general education only and is not medical advice. It does not replace consultation with a qualified clinician. Fever, heavy bleeding, uncontrolled pain, or being unable to pass urine after a urinary tract procedure should be assessed promptly.

Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim, MD, PhD

Physician-scientist · Founder, MedicalVideos.com

Dr. Ibrahim founded MedicalVideos.com in 2007 to make medical and surgical education freely accessible to students, clinicians, and patients.

Last reviewed: 11/08/26