Scheduled or immediate cystoscopy: Which option reduces pain and anxiety?

Background: Office-based flexible cystoscopy is a common outpatient procedure in daily urology practice. Sometimes, cystoscopy procedures are performed on the initial day or scheduled on the following days. We designed this study to compare immediate versus scheduled cystoscopy in terms of anxiety and pain.

Methods: In this study, 160 patients were prospectively randomized to undergo office-based flexible cystoscopy by the same urologist between November 2017 and January 2018. Participants were grouped as scheduled for a cystoscopy on the third day of their application (group 1) and immediate cystoscopy on the same day of the application (group 2). A visual analog scale (VAS), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) were completed by the patients.

Results: Among men, immediate cystoscopy group experienced an increased state anxiety score compared to scheduled group (51.21 ± 8.108 vs 35.29 ± 10.553; p < 0.001). BAI scores were 16.51 ± 8.078 for group1 vs 31.92 ± 8.403 for group2 (p < 0.001). The mean VAS score was 3 ± 1.183 and 4.55 ± 1.155 in group1 and group2, respectively (p < 0.001). Among women, both the trait anxiety score and state anxiety score were found significantly low in scheduled group (mean trait anxiety scores 44.71 ± 6.051 and 49.3 ± 6.670, mean state anxiety scores were 33.71 ± 8.776 and 44.15 ± 7 in group1 and 2, respectively; p < 0.0001). BAI scores were also low in scheduled group (19.02 ± 7.786 vs 34.13 ± 8.367). Additionally, the mean VAS score was significantly high in immediate cystoscopy group compared to scheduled cystoscopy group (3.50 ± 0.784 vs 2.61 ± 0.919; p < 0.001).

Conclusions: To reduce anxiety and pain, informing patients properly about the cystoscopy and scheduling the procedure would be helpful for a better cooperation of the patient.