Interstitial Cystitis AND Bladder Pain Syndrome: A Multidisciplinary Approach Integrating Gynecology AND Urology

Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome (IC/BPS) is a debilitating chronic illness that is associated with pelvic pains, urinary symptoms, and a high comorbidity burden, making it difficult to diagnose and treat. This paper was intended to describe a group of IC/BPS patients treated in a special multidisciplinary clinic with a combination of gynecology and urology and assess clinical outcomes and customer satisfaction. Furthermore, a cross-sectional study was carried out on 107 patients with IC/BPS who were diagnosed with this condition at a multidisciplinary clinic.  The impact of symptoms in patients was measured at baseline with the help of validated scales (VAS, USS, ICSI, and ICPI). The effectiveness of treatment and patient satisfaction of multidisciplinary approach were measured at the 12-month follow-up. It was a cohort with a high symptom burden (pelvic pain 91.6 percent, urinary frequency 83.2 percent, and high comorbidity, depression/anxiety, 38.3 percent, and endometriosis 31.8 percent). Most (70.1) were taking oral medications, physical  therapy (43.9), and intravesical instillations (35.5) were also used. At baseline, the mean pain VAS was 7.2±1.8. Follow-up results showed that at 12 months of multidisciplinary therapy, 67.3% of patients were reported to have improved in their symptoms, and 83.2% were reported to have been satisfied or very satisfied with the integrated care method. High symptoms and patient satisfaction  rates are linked to a multidisciplinary approach and active incorporation of urological and gynecological knowledge, and make it an effective and patient-centered approach to treating this difficult condition. This enhances the general use of integrated, specialty-based clinics using collaborations in the IC/BPS.