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Review
. 2019 Jun 4:2019:1576359.
doi: 10.1155/2019/1576359. eCollection 2019.

Laser Therapy in the Treatment of Female Urinary Incontinence and Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause: An Update

Damir Franić  1   2 , Ivan Fistonić  3   4
Affiliations
Review

Laser Therapy in the Treatment of Female Urinary Incontinence and Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause: An Update

Damir Franić et al. Biomed Res Int. .

Abstract

Vaginal birth trauma is the leading cause of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in women. Also, the process of ageing and hormonal deprivation in postmenopause alters the metabolism of connective tissues and decreases collagen production leading to pelvic floor dysfunction. Noninvasive treatment is recommended as first-line management of urinary incontinence (UI) in women. Surgical procedures are more likely to be implemented to cure UI but are associated with more adverse events. Sex hormone deficiency affects changes also in the lower urinary tract where estrogens are the main regulators of physiological functions of the vagina. In the last decade, laser treatment of SUI and of the genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) has been shown a promising treatment method in peer-reviewed literature. This review's aim is to present the evidence-based medical data and laser treatment of SUI and GSM in an outpatient setting to be a good treatment option, regarding short-term as well as long-term follow-ups. Long-term follow-up studies are needed to confirm that laser treatment is a good, painless outpatient procedure with no side effects in postmenopausal women.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Kloving's categories of ICIQ-UI SF score severity at the baseline and follow-up visits. ICIQ-UI, Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Urinary Incontinence-Short Form; UI, urinary incontinence. Reproduced with permission (Taylor & Francis [15]).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Critical temperature depends on penetration depth. Reproduced with permission (Laser and Health Academy [38]).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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