Laser Treatment for Urinary Incontinence

What is Urinary Incontinence in Women?

Urinary incontinence in women can be described as the involuntary release of urine under inappropriate conditions. It may occur when coughing, lifting heavy loads, bending, during sexual intercourse, or as a constant small leakage. Essentially, urinary incontinence in women is defined as the involuntary release of urine under unsuitable circumstances and conditions.

What Causes Urinary Incontinence in Women?

There are many causes, but the most important one is vaginal delivery. The causes include:

• Normal vaginal birth
• Giving birth to an overweight baby
• Traumatic vaginal delivery
• Smoking
• Diseases causing chronic coughing, such as chronic bronchitis
• Being overweight
• Having musculoskeletal diseases like herniated disc
• Brain and spinal cord diseases

These factors can cause urinary incontinence in women.

How Does Urinary Incontinence Occur in Women?

Urinary incontinence in women occurs in three ways:

• Stress Incontinence: This occurs when coughing, lifting heavy loads, bending, or performing activities that increase intra-abdominal pressure, such as praying. The bladder's exit point shifts, causing urine leakage. The bladder is located at the front of the pelvic floor and can be supported by connective tissue and ligaments. The supportive ligaments can be damaged or torn by factors like coughing or vaginal delivery, causing the bladder to become mobile. Treatment for stress incontinence often requires surgery.
• Neurogenic Bladder (Urge Incontinence): In this type, the nerves leading to the bladder become overstimulated, preventing it from expanding properly. Even a small amount of urine in the bladder causes a sudden urge to urinate. Patients with this condition often experience frequent, involuntary urine leakage. The treatment for neurogenic bladder includes medication, Botox, and approaches like magnetic chairs.
• Mixed Incontinence: This is a combination of both stress incontinence and neurogenic bladder. Treatment includes both surgical and medical approaches, aiming to gradually improve the patient's quality of life.

Treatments for Urinary Incontinence in Women

Treatments for urinary incontinence in women depend on the type and diagnosis. For stress incontinence, surgical options like TOT, TVT, and cystocele surgeries, along with vaginal laser treatment, are used. For neurogenic bladder, medications, Botox, and magnetic chair applications are used. In cases of mixed incontinence, both treatment models are applied step by step. For optimal results in quality of life and social functioning, diagnosis and treatment should be performed carefully. Proper treatment of urinary incontinence in women can significantly improve life quality.

Who Can Benefit from Laser Treatment for Urinary Incontinence in Women?

Laser treatment for urinary incontinence can be applied to most patients. It is particularly beneficial for those with mild to moderate incontinence. There is no harm in applying it to patients with severe incontinence and prolapse, but the success rate may not be as high in these cases.

Laser treatment can be applied to all three types of urinary incontinence in women (cough-induced incontinence, overactive neurogenic bladder, or both). Overactive neurogenic bladder may occur after menopause due to vaginal dryness, and laser treatment can also help alleviate this issue.

Is Laser Treatment for Urinary Incontinence Effective?

Incontinence is classified into mild, moderate, and severe forms. Laser treatment for urinary incontinence is particularly effective for mild to moderate cases. It is also effective in severe incontinence but to a lesser extent compared to mild or moderate cases. However, since laser treatment has no complications, it can be used for patients who do not want surgery.

The primary treatment for severe incontinence is TVT surgery, which uses mesh (artificial support ligaments). TVT surgery can cause pain during sexual intercourse, particularly in sexually active patients. Therefore, laser treatment for urinary incontinence without complications is recommended for patients with severe incontinence.

Are There Any Risks to Laser Treatment for Urinary Incontinence?

Laser treatment for urinary incontinence is a painless procedure that can be done in office settings without anesthesia. There is no need for incisions or stitches. Laser treatment for urinary incontinence does not carry any risks. Vaginal laser applications that improve vaginal tightening, vaginal dryness, and incontinence are safely used to enhance sexual quality of life.

What Are the Advantages of Laser Treatment for Urinary Incontinence?

Treatment for urinary incontinence in women can be divided into two categories: surgical (TVT, TOT, and cystocele surgeries) and laser treatments. The use of mesh (artificial support ligaments) in surgery can lead to complications. These complications can include mesh erosion, hardness at the vaginal stitching site, and infection.

Post-surgery complications can also include pain during sexual intercourse, increased vaginal dryness, vaginal numbness, and difficulty achieving orgasm. Laser treatment for urinary incontinence, on the other hand, does not have these complications, and since it resolves vaginal dryness and numbness, it improves both overall life and sexual quality of life.

Can Everyone Have Laser Treatment for Urinary Incontinence?

The following patient groups are contraindicated for vaginal laser applications:

• Genital HSV (Herpes Simplex Virus) infections
• Severe vaginal infections (with elevated CRP levels)

Cost of Laser Treatment for Urinary Incontinence in Istanbul

The cost of laser treatment for urinary incontinence varies depending on the number of sessions required. The number of sessions is determined after the initial consultation.

What Should Patients Who Undergo Laser Treatment for Urinary Incontinence Be Aware of?

After laser treatment for urinary incontinence, patients should avoid sexual intercourse for the first week. Apart from this, there are no other special precautions. Since the procedure is performed in an office setting, patients can return to social and work life immediately, and there is no problem with taking a shower the same day. New mothers can continue breastfeeding without any issue.

Is Laser Treatment for Urinary Incontinence Available in Public Hospitals?

Currently, laser treatment for urinary incontinence is not available in public hospitals in Turkey. However, you can receive this treatment at our clinic in Istanbul.