Bladder Instillation

Upon arrival at your appointment, you'll be given the option to change into a hospital gown and your consultant will explain the procedure to you.

To begin, you'll be asked to lie down on the examination couch. Your consultant will then apply an anaesthetic antiseptic gel to numb your urethra.

Once the gel has taken effect, they will pass a catheter (soft, thin plastic tube) through your urethra and into your bladder to drain any residual urine before instilling (injecting) a medicated solution into your bladder.

The catheter will then be removed, and you will be able to go home after a short period of monitoring. Your consultant will ask you to hold passing urine for 1 to 2 hours to allow time for the medication to take effect.

Bladder instillation is a straightforward procedure which takes around 20 minutes to complete.

Depending on your condition, your consultant may recommend that you undergo a course of weekly treatments for at least 6 to 8 weeks.

Depending on the type of medicine used in the treatment, you may experience some bladder irritation, which can result in side effects similar to your original symptoms (frequent or urgent urination, urine leakage and pain when passing urine). This is more common in the treatment of bladder cancer.

There is also a small risk of infection and bleeding associated with catheterisation, for which a short course of antibiotics would be prescribed.

Before the procedure, your doctor will explain each step of bladder instillation, answer any questions you have and suggest how many rounds of treatment you’ll need.

You don’t need to fast before bladder instillation, but you should limit your fluid intake so that your bladder is as empty as possible.

When you arrive for your treatment, you’ll be asked to take a urine test to check for infection. If there’s no infection present, the procedure can go ahead.

You’ll be asked to stay in the outpatient clinic for around 15 minutes after your treatment so you can be monitored for any side effects. All being well, you can return to your normal daily activities and will then be able to go home straight away after any following treatments.

At Welbeck, our urologists are experts in their field and are dedicated to providing world-class care to every patient.

With access to colleagues across other specialities, our consultants are also able to refer within the Welbeck ecosystem if required to ensure you receive the treatment you need as quickly as possible, all under one roof.

All appointments, testing, treatment, and follow-up appointments take place within our state-of-the-art facilities, enabling us to deliver accurate diagnostics and advanced treatments.

To book an appointment for bladder instillation, you must be referred by either your GP or a consultant following a consultation with them. Self-referrals are not accepted for this test.

If you would like to schedule a consultation with a urologist, please get in touch to make an appointment. Your health is important to us, so we strive to offer same-day appointments whenever possible.

Our consultants are recognised by the major health insurance companies. If you have private health insurance, your treatment at Welbeck can begin once you have obtained authorisation. We also provide care to self-paying patients. Learn more about the different payment options at Welbeck.