{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,23]],"date-time":"2026-10-23T14:14:29Z","timestamp":1792764869227,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":35,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,22]],"date-time":"2025-05-22T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1747872000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Sapienza University of Rome"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Interstitial cystitis\/bladder pain syndrome (IC\/BPS) is a chronic condition characterized by persistent bladder-related pain and urinary symptoms, often refractory to conventional treatments. Sacral neuromodulation (SNM) has emerged as a promising therapeutic option for managing refractory IC\/BPS. Methods: This retrospective study included 24 patients with IC\/BPS treated with SNM between 2017 and 2022. Baseline and follow-up data were collected on pain, opioid use, urinary symptoms, and quality of life. Patients underwent a trial of tonic stimulation before permanent implantation. Continuous variables were reported as median (IQR) and categorical data as counts and percentages. Pre- and post-SNM differences were analyzed using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Kaplan\u2013Meier analysis evaluated lead survival, and a Sankey diagram illustrated employment status transitions. Results: Patients had a median age of 54.5 years (IQR: 47\u201361), with 92% female. Subtypes included Type 1 IC\/BPS (8.3%), Type 2 (45.8%), Type 3 (37.6%), and unknown type (8.3%). Median pain duration was 4.5 years (IQR: 3\u20137.3). SNM resulted in significant improvements in pain (NRS: baseline 8 [IQR: 8\u20139], last follow-up 3 [IQR: 2\u20134], p &lt; 0.0001), opioid use (MME: baseline 20 [IQR: 10\u201340], last follow-up 0 [IQR: 0\u201310], p &lt; 0.0001), urinary function (24-h voids: baseline 19 [IQR: 14.5\u201325.8], last follow-up 8 [IQR: 6\u201312], p &lt; 0.0001), and quality of life (QOL) (EQ-5D-5L: baseline 0.50 [IQR: 0.36\u20130.56], last follow-up 0.83 [IQR: 0.76\u20130.89], p &lt; 0.0001). Employment rates increased from 43.5% to 50%, and unemployment decreased from 8.7% to 4.2%. The median follow-up was 35 months (IQR: 28\u201353). Conclusions: SNM significantly improved pain, urinary symptoms, quality of life, and employment outcomes in patients with refractory IC\/BPS. These findings highlight its efficacy as a minimally invasive and reversible option for managing this challenging condition.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm14113647","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,22]],"date-time":"2025-05-22T12:15:43Z","timestamp":1747916143000},"page":"3647","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":10,"title":["Long-Term Outcomes of Sacral Neuromodulation for Refractory Interstitial Cystitis\/Bladder Pain Syndrome: A Retrospective Cohort Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7671-4056","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Martina","family":"Rekatsina","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Aretaieion University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 115 27 Athens, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5228-3733","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Matteo Luigi Giuseppe","family":"Leoni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Translational Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5274-7929","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Veerle","family":"Visser-Vandewalle","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4321-6525","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Marco","family":"Mercieri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Translational Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3822-2923","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Giustino","family":"Varrassi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Fondazione Paolo Procacci, 00193 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1046-2829","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Georgios","family":"Matis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, 50937 Cologne, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,22]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101056","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cont.2023.101056","article-title":"Summary of the 2023 report of the international consultation on incontinence interstitial cystitis\/bladder pain syndrome (IC\/BPS) committee","volume":"8","author":"Hanno","year":"2023","journal-title":"Continence"},{"key":"ref_2","first-page":"229","article-title":"Urodynamics, Incontinence, and Neurourology: Highlights from the Society for Urodynamics and Female Urology Annual Winter Meeting, February 28-March 2, 2008, Miami, FL","volume":"10","author":"Nitti","year":"2008","journal-title":"Rev. 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