Bladder Instillation therapy
What is bladder instillation therapy used for?
Bladder instillation therapy is one of a number of treatments used in the treatment of a condition called interstitial cystitis.
Bladder instillation therapy is also know as ‘intravesical treatment.‘
Dr Onuma’s bladder instillation protocol
Solution, a mixture of :
- Bicarbonate solution
- Local anaesthetic
- Anticoagulant
You will be asked to empty your bladder just before the treatment is administered.
An ultrasound assessment of residual bladder volume will be made.
Dr Onuma will prepare the solution
Bicarbonate solution is drawn into a syringe
Anticoagulant is drawn into the syringe
The mixture is complete with the addition of local anaesthetic
Cleanse the urethra then instill the solution
The labia are parted to expose the entrance to the urethra
The entrance of the urethra, adjacent introital tissues and vagina are cleansed with an antiseptic solution
A short catheter is inserted and used to empty any remaining urine from the bladder
The mixture is instilled into the bladder via the catheter
You will be given a single dose of an antibiotic
to reduce the risk of a bladder infection
The longer you keep the solution in your bladder the more effective it is likely to be. Hold the solution in your bladder for at least 30min. to 1 hour (the longer the better). As the treatments progress you may find that you are able to defer voiding for up to 4 hours.
What happens after the first treatment?
Two treatments in the first week, then once a week for the following 6 weeks.
After 7 weeks, increase the timing between treatments to 2 weeks and then by additional 1-4 weekly increments thereafter depending on symptoms.
Continuous assessment of the reduction in symptoms and the degree of symptomatology just before the next treatment will guide further increments between treatment times.
Symptoms may fluctuate depending on a variety of factors so doctor and patient have to adopt flexibility in the timing of treatments.
At present there is no known cure for Interstitial Cystitis. This means that you will require some form of treatment on an ongoing basis. The type of treatments that you use will ultimately be your choice based on your symptoms and facilitated by discussions with your doctor.
