Is Laser Therapy Effective for Women with Urinary Leakage?

If you are suffering from involuntary leakage of urine during your day-to-day activities, this clinical trial may contain important insights. A clinical trial has investigated the use of CO2 surgical laser for treating stress urinary incontinence in women.

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is a common condition in women, where they involuntarily leak urine during physical activities that put pressure on their bladder, like coughing, sneezing, or exercising. This condition can be distressing and affect women's quality of life. This condition is usually treated conservatively with pelvic floor exercises.

Surgery is the go-to option for patients not responding to conservative measures. However, given the risks of surgery, researchers are continuously exploring new non-surgical treatments to help women with SUI. CO2 laser has been proposed as an alternative non-surgical option for these patients but strong clinical evidence of its effectiveness is lacking.

This clinical trial explores the safety and effectiveness of CO2 laser therapy in patients with stress urinary incontinence. The trial involved 101 female patients between the ages of 18 and 80 years who were suffering from stress urinary incontinence. The participants were randomly assigned to two groups - the treatment group and the control group. The treatment group received CO2 surgical laser treatment, while the control group did not receive this treatment.

The CO2 surgical laser treatment involves inserting a laser probe into the vagina and using laser energy to stimulate collagen production in the vaginal wall. Collagen is a protein that helps to support the bladder and urethra, which can reduce the occurrence of SUI.

The results of the clinical trial showed that at 3 months after laser treatment, 46/52 patients (96%) reported no improvement in their symptoms compared to the control group which showed no improvement in 98% of the patients. There was also no significant improvement in the health-related quality of life in patients undergoing laser treatment.

The trial found that the women who received CO2 surgical laser treatment did not have a significant reduction in the number of urinary leakage episodes per day compared to the control group. The researchers concluded that CO2 surgical laser treatment is not an effective treatment option for women with SUI.

The trial's findings have significant implications for women with SUI. Currently, the available treatment options for SUI include lifestyle changes, pelvic floor exercises, and surgery. Surgery is often considered a last resort and can be invasive and risky. CO2 surgical laser treatment, on the other hand, is considered to be a non-invasive treatment option in these patients.

However, the results of this clinical study have shown that C02 laser therapy is not a safe and effective treatment modality for urinary incontinence.

Conclusion

The clinical trial provides strong evidence that CO2 surgical laser treatment cannot be used as an alternative non-surgical treatment option for women with SUI. If you or someone you know is struggling with SUI, it is essential to speak with a healthcare provider to discuss the various treatment options available.
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