Recovery some time and hormones changed.
The Mona Lisa Touch is a sophisticated laser treatment that effectively and discreetly addresses intimate complaints in women. For comfort, confidence and a better quality of life - without invasive surgery.
Body Corrections
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After natural menopause, or after undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy, women may experience vulvovaginal atrophy. Due to the lack of estrogens associated with that natural or artificial menopause, the sheath wall becomes thin and fragile. This can lead to symptoms such as burning, vaginal dryness, pain during intercourse and infections. Administering estrogens is not always the preferred method of treating such complaints. In contrast, the MonaLisa Touch® laser treatment succeeds in permanently restoring pre-menopausal conditions without hormones. This method is virtually painless and a laser session takes less than 10 minutes. Although the number of treatments needed is determined individually, the desired result is often achieved after 3 treatments, with one session every 4 to 6 weeks.
Vaginal atrophy
Vulvovaginal atrophy occurs about 3 to 4 years after the onset of menopause and is caused by estrogen deficiency. After menopause, the ovaries no longer produce estrogen, reducing the collagen and elastin in the vaginal wall. The vaginal wall becomes thinner, more vulnerable during intercourse and more susceptible to infection. In addition, natural elasticity is lost and hydration decreases due to reduced blood flow. About 60% of women develop complaints of vaginal atrophy after menopause. Common complaints include irritation and burning, vaginal dryness, increasing pain during intercourse, recurrent infections, persistent urge to urinate and bladder infections. These complaints are particularly frequent and can occur in various combinations. A lot of women do not dare to discuss this intimate problem with a health care provider, and until recently, health care providers also paid little or no attention to it. Fortunately, in recent years there has been a turnaround, thanks to the publication of large-scale studies involving the anonymous questioning of thousands of postmenopausal women from which it was abundantly clear that such complaints are particularly frequent. Vulvovaginal atrophy may be a part of the natural menopause and aging of women, but the complaints caused by this atrophy are not only very frequent but also extremely bothersome. They also weigh on the intimate relationship with the partner. What was previously pleasurable becomes downright unpleasant to painful. Within health care there is now more attention to this and it can be remedied.
Treatment
Usually, the symptoms of vaginal atrophy are treated by administering estrogens (hormones) in creams, ovules or vaginal tablets. However, there are also women who should not or do not want to use hormones. For example, women who have been treated for breast cancer or cervical cancer may experience the aforementioned symptoms at a young age. If it is an estrogen-sensitive tumor, they should absolutely not use estrogens. Some more recent publications suggest that as long as the content of estrogens in such creams, ovules or vaginal tablets remains low enough, there is hardly any risk of tumor recurrence on the one hand and sufficient effect is obtained on atrophy symptoms on the other. Daily practice shows that most patients neither believe nor trust this and refuse or stop the use of such low-dose hormone preparations, also because their effect on atrophy symptoms is limited anyway. The MonaLisa Touch® treatment is a non-hormonal treatment method and thus very suitable for this target group. Moreover, it is outpatient, painless and takes less than 10 minutes.
How does the Mona Lisa Touch treatment work?
The MonaLisa Touch® treatment is performed in the gynecologist's regular consultation room. The treatment is virtually painless, so no anesthesia is necessary. The MonaLisa Touch laser probe is inserted into the vagina in the form of a small tube. The laser light is delivered to and absorbed by about 6 to 8% of the total internal surface area of the vagina wall. Hence the name "fractional" in the publications: it is sufficient to irradiate a fraction of the sheath wall with the laser to obtain the positive effect, to which both the treated and untreated part of the sheath wall collaborate. The principle of fractional laser treatments, by the way, has been successfully used in aesthetic dermatology on the skin for much longer. The laser effect stimulates good blood flow and the production of collagen. As a result, elasticity returns and hydration improves. In this way, the condition as it existed before menopause is permanently restored.
How many treatments are needed?
For best results, 3 laser sessions of less than 10 minutes are required, one session every 4 to 6 weeks. Thereafter, to keep the tissue healthy, 1 to 2 maintenance treatments per year are required. The number of sessions needed varies from person to person. It depends on whether menopause has occurred naturally or is premature menopause due to chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. In the latter case, vaginal atrophy occurs faster and more aggressively. Each situation is different and is questioned and examined individually before each start of laser treatments.
Mona Lisa Touch laser treatment at Duinbergen Clinic
For the treatment of vulvovaginal atrophy, you can confidently come to Duinbergen Clinic in Knokke. Dr. Patrick Puttemans is part of our team and specializes in infertility on the one hand and the use of laser treatments in gynecology on the other. He was the first in the Benelux to start the MonaLisa Touch® laser treatment in 2015, and has gained extensive experience with it. He is affiliated with the Heilig Hart Regional Hospital in Leuven.
Please feel free to contact us if you have any further questions or would like to make an appointment for an initial consultation. We will be happy to discuss your options.
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