| Interstital Cystitis | |
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Introduction >> |
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Symptoms >> |
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Etiology >> |
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Diagnosis >> |
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Epidemiology >> |
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General Management >> |
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Treatment >> |
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Medications >> |
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Direct Bladder Therapy >> |
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Surgical Treatments >> |
GENERAL MANAGEMENT
A great part of managing patients with IC should include a detailed education about this condition and a reassurance that his/her symptoms are primarily physical, albeit with potential psychological side effects. The IC patient has to be reassured that even under the most debilitating situations and even when the IC symptoms are having a significant impact on the quality of his or her life, this condition does not lead to a permanent bladder dysfunction, subsequent bladder cancer or an eventual deterioration of his or her general health. Consequently we inform our IC patients that the goal of treatment is to resolve the symptoms and their effect on the patient’s life, but not to cure a disease.
Finally the various treatment options should be detailed, including the expectations and the potential side effects of each therapy. Any treating physician and health care provider attending to IC patients, should have a clear understanding of the challenging, time consuming and often frustrating task they are taking. Therefore it is advisable that only committed physicians who dedicate significant part of their practice to care for IC patients should manage these cases and they should have an organized and supportive staff in their offices. A multidisciplinary (multi-specialty) approach involving urology, gynecology, rheumatology, pain clinic and psychological services is probably the most effective management for IC patients.
Updated June 23rd, 2007