Expected versus experienced pain in office-based flexible cystoscopy: A prospective study

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Pain Management
• Patient Experience

Background:

• Pre-procedural pain expectations can influence patient outcomes.
• Office-based cystoscopy is a common urological procedure.
• Understanding patient-reported pain is crucial for improving procedural care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the relationship between pre-procedural pain expectations and experienced pain during first-time office-based cystoscopy.
• To assess if age and gender influence the discrepancy between expected and experienced pain.
• To provide insights for clinical counseling and patient education.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study of 117 adult patients undergoing first-time office-based cystoscopy.
• Pain assessed using a 0-10 numerical rating scale before and after the procedure.
• Analysis of pain discrepancy by age and gender.

Main Results:

• Post-procedural pain was significantly lower than pre-procedural expectations for all patients (p < 0.001).
• No significant difference in pain reduction magnitude was found between sexes or age groups (<65 vs. ≥65 years).
• Median pain scores decreased from 6 to 2; 81.2% would undergo the procedure again.

Conclusions:

• Patients report less pain than anticipated during office-based cystoscopy.
• Effective pre-procedural education can reassure patients and reduce anxiety.
• Findings support using patient expectations to inform clinical counseling.