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Female urine incontinence: vaginal erbium laser (VEL) effectiveness and safety

  • David Elia , Marco Gambiacciani , Jean-Marc Ayoubi , Nicolas Berreni , Jean Marc Bohbot , Philippe Descamps , Rene Druckmann , Hugues Geoffrion , François Haab , Niko Heiss EMAIL logo , Nicolas Rygaloff and Eleonora Russo
Published/Copyright: October 30, 2020
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Hormone Molecular Biology and Clinical Investigation
From the journal Hormone Molecular Biology and Clinical Investigation Volume 41 Issue 4

Abstract

Urinary incontinence is a common health problem that impacts the quality of life of women at different ages. Its physiopathology is not unequivocal, and it is necessary to consider the stress urinary incontinence (SUI), the overactive bladder syndrome and the mixed incontinence (MUI). According to the type of incontinence, its impact on the quality of life and age of the patients, therapeutic strategies are currently summarized in physiotherapy, surgery and drug treatments. We already know the benefit/risk ratio of each of these strategies. Our objective is to evaluate the potential effectiveness and safety of the VEL, an innovative vaginal laser technique (VEL – Vaginal Erbium Laser, erbium yttrium-aluminum-garnet -Er: YAG) a non-invasive laser proposed as a treatment for SUI, overactive bladder syndrome and MUI. The mechanisms of action of lasers are discussed in general and those of VEL in particular with the description of the Smooth® mode. To do this, we have collected the 21 published studies including the first randomized vs. placebo and two pilot studies of intra-urethral VEL. In conclusion: VEL procedures already have their place between the rehabilitation of the perineal floor and surgery. Further properly sized, randomized studies are needed to evaluate the laser treatments in comparison with other therapies, as well as to assess the duration of the therapeutic effects and the safety of repeated applications.

Keywords: FDA warning; intraurethral ErYAG smooth; laser ErYAG smooth; non-ablative laser; overactive bladder syndrome; stress urinary incontinence; tension-free vaginal tape; transobturator tape
Corresponding author: Niko Heiss, Vaginal Erbium Laser Academy France, Elsan, Polyclinique Kenval, Nîmes, France, E-mail:

  1. Research funding: None declared.

  2. Author contributions: All authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.

  3. Competing interests: Authors state no conflict of interest.

  4. Informed consent: Informed consent was obtained from all individuals included in this study.

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Received: 2020-02-13
Accepted: 2020-05-06
Published Online: 2020-10-30

© 2020 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

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https://doi.org/10.1515/hmbci-2020-0012
Keywords for this article
FDA warning; intraurethral ErYAG smooth; laser ErYAG smooth; non-ablative laser; overactive bladder syndrome; stress urinary incontinence; tension-free vaginal tape; transobturator tape

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Letter to the Editor
  2. Evidence-based medicine is a valuable tool for a successful decision-making on risk-reducing bilateral mastectomy
  3. Original Articles
  4. Melatonin inhibits high glucose-induced ox-LDL/LDL expression and apoptosis in human umbilical endothelial cells
  5. Effects of metformin and insulin therapy regimens on postpartum oral glucose tolerance test results in pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus: a comparative study
  6. Association of IL-33 gene rs16924159 polymorphism and recurrent pregnancy loss in Iranian Azeri women
  7. Greater effects of high- compared with moderate-intensity interval training on thyroid hormones in overweight/obese adolescent girls
  8. Effect of Artemisia absinthium ethanolic extract on oxidative stress markers and the TLR4, S100A4, Bax and Bcl-2 genes expression in the kidney of STZ-induced diabetic rats
  9. Associations of endothelial biomarkers, nitric oxide metabolites and endothelin, with blood pressure and coronary lesions depend on cardiovascular risk and sex to mark endothelial dysfunction on the SCORE scale
  10. Association of nitric oxide synthase 3 gene rs1799983 G/T polymorphism with idiopathic asthenozoospermia in Iranian Azeri males: a case-control study
  11. Adiponectin and leptin levels in normal weight women with polycystic ovary syndrome
  12. Review Articles
  13. Association between vitamin D deficiency and prevalence of metabolic syndrome in female population: a systematic review
  14. Vitamin D and sleep duration: Is there a bidirectional relationship?
  15. Challenges of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Iraq: biochemical network and methodologies. A brief review
  16. Female urine incontinence: vaginal erbium laser (VEL) effectiveness and safety
  17. Breast cancer risk factors in Iran: a systematic review & meta-analysis
  18. Effects of melatonin supplementation on oxidative stress: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
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