Laser vaginal tightening, or Fotona laser therapy, is a non-invasive treatment for mild stress urinary incontinence.
This innovative procedure, which is performed using a Fotona Erbium YAG laser, has been offered for a number of years now, in particular in Europe, to treat bladder problems in women. It involves photothermal tightening of the anterior wall of the bladder and urethra. The Fotona laser is configured to specifically target the collagen-rich vaginal mucosa. It remodels the treated vaginal tissues, resulting in their contraction and tightening.
It's a safe and simple procedure that requires little preparation and doesn’t involve any incisions. It lasts about 15 minutes and has a short recovery period.
There are few studies on gynecological laser therapies. However, there are many studies in the field of dermatology about fundamentally similar laser treatments. To date, clinical assessment of this therapy has conclusively demonstrated its efficacy. Moreover, the patient satisfaction rate is high.
According to our Urinary Incontinency Treatment Policy, the vaginal tightening is automatically included.
Who’s a candidate for vaginal laser therapy to treat stress urinary incontinence?
What are the benefits of vaginal laser therapy?
- Improvement of urinary incontinence symptoms
- Increased vaginal lubrication
- Improved sensitivity during sexual activity
- Narrower vaginal canal
- Improved ability to reach orgasm
- Overall improvement in the quality of a woman’s sex life
What’s does the procedure for undergoing vaginal laser therapy involve?
The procedure is easy to perform and doesn’t take long. The patient is placed in the lithotomy position and an anesthetic cream is applied to the vulvar region by a nurse. Vaginal laser therapy is in itself painless. However, there may be some discomfort in the area around the vaginal opening (the vulva vestibule).
Patients must wear protective glasses for their safety.
A speculum is inserted into the vagina in order to dry the vaginal mucosa as much as possible. A laser probe is then inserted. It’s pulled out gradually, while emitting five to six pulses at every interval of 5 mm. This process will be repeated several times.
At the end of the operation, the probe will be passed over the vaginal and urethral opening several times, in a circular motion.
Laser treatment for urinary incontinence is automatically included as part of the vaginal atrophy treatment provided at Dr. Marois’ urology clinics in Greater Montreal and Quebec City.
How many treatment sessions are needed to see improvements?
How long do the benefits of the treatment last?
Are there other non-surgical treatments for women with urinary stress incontinence?
- Perineal rehabilitation
- Platelet-rich plasma therapy for female sexual dysfunction or improved orgasms
- Injection of urethral bulking agents