The most common reason to perform a cystotomy in a dog or cat is for the removal of uroliths. The most common complication of this surgery is the recurrence of uroliths. Preventing this complication comes down to ensuring that all the stones (and tiny little particles of stones) are removed and this is not done with radiographs!.
The best way to get all those pesky stones and stone bits out is to make a large incision in the bladder and to evert the bladder mucosa and lavage it properly.
