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Bladder Injections of Steroid

If you have interstitial cystitis, Dr. Kumar will do a cystoscopy to see if you have features in the bladder consistent with inflammation and erosion of the bladder lining.

If your bladder does have this appearance, injecting a steroid under the bladder mucosa can often help heal the tissue and improve your bladder symptoms. Dr. Kumar can either do this under anesthesia, or in the office with a numbing solution instilled in the bladder prior.

Usually, if it is the first time you are having it done, Dr. Kumar will do it under anesthesia so she can also distend your bladder and take a biopsy of the bladder tissue at the same time.

Historically, procedures to distend the bladder and fulgurate the areas of inflammation have been used for IC. There are numerous urologists who also feel that injecting a steroid under the bladder mucosa significantly helps symptoms. In Dr. Kumar’s experience, this seems to help her patients the most. Depending on the extent of the lesions in the bladder, Dr. Kumar may recommend repeating the injection in 3-6 months if there is good improvement in your symptoms after the first injection.