First assessment of short-term efficacy of Er:YAG laser treatment on stress urinary incontinence in women: prospective cohort study

ABSTRACT

Objectives This is the first assessment of efficacy and safety of the Er:YAG laser in the treatment of stress urinary incontinence. The aim of this study was to assess the short-term outcome of a non-invasive laser treatment for mild-to-severe stages of this condition and to check its applicability in different body mass index and age groups.

Methods A prospective cohort, single-center study at the Ob/Gyn Clinic, Zagreb, Croatia recruited a consecutive sample of 73 female patients suffering from stress urinary incontinence. The procedure was performed with a 2940-nm Er:YAG laser (XS Dynamis, Fotona, Slovenia) designed to achieve heating up of vaginal mucosa to around 60°C, 500–700 μm in depth.

Results The score in the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Urinary Incontinence Short Form was reduced to a median of 46% (95% confidence interval 33–67%; p < 0.001). The reduction was significantly higher in women with normal body mass index (67%) than in overweight women (25%), as well as in women younger than 39 years (100%) compared with those older than 60 years (8%) (p < 0.001). No serious adverse events were noticed.

Conclusion This study of Er:YAG laser therapy in women has demonstrated a clinically relevant, short-term improvement of stress urinary incontinence, with minimal adverse events of a transient nature.

Key words::

• STRESS URINARY INCONTINENCE
• Er: YAG LASER
• QUALITY OF LIFE

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Statistical data analysis was made by Žarko Bajić from Biometrika Healthcare Research. N. Fistonić, I. Fistonić, A. Lukanovič, I. Sorta Bilajac Turina and D. Franić were responsible for project development; N. Fistonić, I. Fistonić and Š. Findri Guštek were responsible for data collection; N. Fistonić, I. Fistonić and D. Franić analyzed the data.

Conflict of interest The authors report no conflict of interest. The authors alone were responsible for the content and writing of this paper.

Source of funding Nil.