What is entailed in a feline cystotomy?

A cystotomy is a surgery in which the urinary bladder is opened and then closed. The veterinarian will place your cat under general anesthesia, then create a surgical opening along the midline of your cat's belly. Through this opening the vet will carefully move the bladder around so that it is lying outside the abdomen. After removing the urine from the bladder, the veterinarian will open the bladder and remove anything inside the bladder that shouldn't be there, such as bladder stones or a knob of infection or a tumor. Once everything is cleaned out, the vet will carefully stitch the bladder closed and place it back in its place in the abdomen. The vet will then stitch the stomach wall back together and wake your cat back up.