Low-level Laser Therapy for Genitourinary Syndromes and Stress Urinary Incontinence

National Taiwan University Hospital41 enrolled

Overview

Genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) and stress urinary incontinence (SUI) are common for women. Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) was applied for wound healing, but there was no study regarding treatment effect of GSM and SUI. This retrospective study aims to assess the efficacy of LLLT in alleviating GSM and SUI.

Between September 2022 and August 2023, all women who received LLLT for GSM and SUI at the gynecologic outpatient clinic of a hospital were retrospectively reviewed. The treatment was once a week for eight weeks. Vaginal health index (VHI) and questionnaires before and after treatment for evaluation of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and quality of life are the outcome assessment.

Study Type

OBSERVATIONAL

Enrollment

Conditions

Vaginal Atrophy Urinary Incontinence,Stress

Interventions

Low-level laser therapyDEVICE

The treatment was once a week for eight weeks. The patient was in a supine position. The gain medium of the laser was Gallium-Aluminum-Arsenide. The laser was introduced into vagina via a silicon vaginal probe inserted by a doctor for 30 minutes (wavelength 660nm, power density 18.17mW/cm2, energy density 0.018J/cm2s, total energy density 32.4J/cm2).

Eligibility

Sex: FEMALEMin age: 20 YearsMax age: 80 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * women with GSM and SUI * Received LLLT at the gynecologic outpatient clinic Exclusion Criteria: * More or equal to stage 2 pelvic organ prolapse defined by pelvic organ prolapse-quantification system * Ongoing urinary tract infection or vaginitis with the pathogen in the previous 2 weeks * Bladder calculus * Neurogenic bladder due to radical hysterectomy or injury of the central nervous system * A preexisting malignant pelvic tumor.

Locations (1)

Pei-chi Wu

Taipei, Taiwan

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Vaginal health

Vaginal health index, each of these 5 items is evaluated by means of a scale from 1 (none) to 5 (excellent) and then the average of the scores is calculated. A value of ≤15 (= cut-off) is generally considered for the diagnosis of low vaginal health.

Time frame: 8 weeks

Secondary Outcomes

Urinary incontinence

ICIQ-SF: International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire - Short Form. Scoring scale: 0-21. Higher scores mean a worse outcome.

Time frame: 8 weeks

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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