Symptoms of age and childbirth-related disorders, such as urinary incontinence and pelvic floor prolapse, affect hundreds of millions of women worldwide. Roughly 60-80% of women over 50 will experience atrophy in their lifetime. Almost 50% of parous women suffer from some kind of pelvic organ prolapse and 25-30% suffer from stress urinary incontinence. Conservative treatments such as pelvic floor muscle therapy (Kegel exercises) often fail because of the patients' lack of compliance. Surgical options, although effective, suffer from a high rate of adverse effects and are typically a patient's last resort. Due to the fear of risks and life disruptions associated with current surgical treatments, interest in lesser invasive treatment options is growing.
Almost 50% of parous women suffer from some kind of pelvic organ prolapse and 25-30% suffer from stress urinary incontinence.
Fotona SMOOTH is a minimally invasive, non-ablative Er:YAG laser procedure for functional strengthening of the connective tissue inside the vaginal wall. The treatment results in improved pelvic floor support and reduced symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction. It is based on photothermal strengthening of the urethral wall and anterior bladder wall region as well as tightening of the vaginal canal through a process that involves the remodeling of collagen fibres as well as neocollagenesis, angiogenesis and proliferation of fibroblasts.
The therapy results in the return of normal continence function, a reduction of vaginal atrophy symptoms and tightening of the vaginal canal. The treatment is incisionless, without local anaesthesia and with little to no downtime.
Clinically validated indications for this non-ablative laser procedure include stress urinary incontinence (IncontiLase), vaginal atrophy and genitourinary syndrome of menopause (RenovaLase), pelvic organ prolapse (ProlapLase), and vaginal relaxation syndrome (IntimaLase).
Studies and outcomes
Since the introduction of the unique Fotona SMOOTH gynaecological laser therapy in 2012, a number of independent studies examining its safety and effectiveness have been published in the most highly respected, peer-reviewed international journals. To date, clinically proven results have been published in more than 35 SCI (high Science Citation Index) publications, providing a substantial base of evidence for the future of minimally invasive laser treatments for vulvovaginal disorders.
A compendium containing the abstracts of these published scientific studies is available for download on the official Fotona website.
