Effectiveness of fractional CO2 laser in women with stress urinary incontinence

Abstract

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is a relatively common disorder that significantly affects the quality of life. Many conservative and surgical treatment methods have been recommended for SUI, but they have major limitations. To assess the use of the CO2 fractional laser in the treatment of SUI. This clinical trial included 55 patients with confirmed SUI. Patients underwent fractional CO2 laser treatment 3 times at 30-day intervals. Data on age, smoking history, sexual activity, menopause, and history of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) were collected. Response to treatment was assessed by SUI severity and the level of sexual satisfaction was assessed using the visual analog scale (VAS). Patients were evaluated at 3 different time points: before treatment, and 45 days and 6 months after the last laser treatment. The mean patient age was 44.4±11.4 years (range: 28 to 68 years). Smoking history was positive in 6 patients (9.1%); 19 (54.3%) were menopausal on HRT. The SUI severity score at baseline (before treatment) was 8.56±0.62 and decreased to 2.28 6 months after treatment (p<0.0001). The sexual satisfaction score was 3±0.94 at baseline and increased to 7.87±0.93 6 months after treatment (day 180) (p<0.0001, slope = + 2.2) Our findings are in line with a previous study that showed the value of transvaginal CO2 fractional laser treatment for alleviation of SUI symptoms and its potential as an alternative treatment. We also observed improved sexual satisfaction in SUI patients.