Non-ablative vaginal erbium laser treatment of patients with cystocele and stress urinary incontinence – a retrospective study
Novakov Mikic A.,Lepeš Bingold B.,Hreljac I.,Vižintin Z.
EGO European Gynecology and Obstetrics (2023); 2023/01:004-009 doi: 10.53260/EGO.235016
Abstract
Background: Non-ablative erbium laser has become one of the new proposed treatments for various female pelvic floor disorders.
Objective: To assess the effects of vaginal erbium laser treatment with the non-invasive 2940 nm Erbium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Er:YAG) laser using the non-ablative SMOOTH® mode (Vaginal Erbium Laser, VEL) on patients with pelvic organ prolapse and co-existing stress urinary incontinence (SUI), if present.
Methods: This was a retrospective study carried out by the analysis of data recorded during a two-year period from charts of 41 patients that completed VEL treatment for cystocele (Group A); 27 of these also had concomitant stress urinary incontinence (Group B).
Results: The average cystocele grade in Group A was 2, while in Group B it was 1.96. The patients received on average 2.7 laser sessions. The average cystocele grade in the patient population decreased by 0.95. Patients with concomitant SUI also had a clinically significant improvement in SUI symptoms. The average ICIQ-UI short form score at baseline was 11.33, which decreased to 3.56 after the completed treatment sessions. Satisfaction with the treatment results was high.
Conclusion: This retrospective study has shown that vaginal non-ablative Er:YAG laser treatment with SMOOTH® mode seems to be an effective and safe option for reducing grades of cystocele as well as symptoms of coexisting SUI.