Use of fractional laser in the treatment of urinary incontinence: review

Abstract

Background: Urinary incontinence (UI) is the involuntary loss of urine that can have different causes and symptoms. It mainly affects women, generating losses from physical to emotional. There are several treatments for this pathology and recently the fractional laser came to be considered one of them, which motivated this study. Aims: To identify the studies published in the databases, from 2015 to 2021 that used fractional laser in the treatment of UI. Method: This is an integrative review, being qualitative research of observational and exploratory nature and objectives. The descriptors fractional laser, CO2 laser, urinary incontinence and physical therapy were used in the PubMed, Virtual Health Library (VHL), Lilacs and PEDro databases in order to identify and critically evaluate publications on the use of fractional laser in UI. Results: Six articles were selected and analyzed and organized in a table. Conclusion: The literature was scarce, limiting the conclusions. The laser seems to be a promising and non-invasive resource, the six studies showed efficacy and safety, although with some side effects. New studies are urgent.