Interstitial cystitis, also known as bladder pain syndrome, is a chronic inflammatory condition of the bladder. The main symptoms are pelvic pain, urinary urgency, urinary frequency and nocturia. Symptoms can last for several months or years. It is diagnosed by exclusion and is challenging to treat.
Overactive bladder is defined as urinary urgency, usually with urinary frequency and nocturia, with or without urinary incontinence. In some people, it is accompanied by uncontrolled contractions of the detrusor muscle during bladder filling, called detrusor overactivity. It is diagnosed based on symptoms and is challenging to treat.
Current treatments for both conditions aim to reduce symptoms.
For interstitial cystitis, current treatment options are:
lifestyle changes, such as dietary changes and stopping smoking
medicine
intravesical therapy
intradetrusor botulinum toxin injection
neuromodulation
sacral nerve stimulation
cystoscopy plus hydrodistension.
For overactive bladder, current treatment options are:
physical therapies, such as pelvic floor muscle training
medicine
intravesical therapy
intradetrusor botulinum toxin injection
sacral nerve stimulation.
The procedure is done using topical local anaesthesia with the person lying in a supine position. An electrode catheter is inserted into the person's bladder through the urethra. The bladder is flushed and drained. A medicine solution is then instilled into the bladder. Electrode pads are placed on the person's skin. The cutaneous and intravesical electrodes are then connected to a generator, which generates an electrical current, transmitted to the intravesical electrode. After the procedure, the bladder is drained, and the catheter is removed.
There are different medicine solutions that can be instilled for the procedure.
The procedure aims to increase the amount of the medicine absorbed compared with procedures without electrical stimulation.