Is vaginal fractional CO2 laser treatment effective in improving overactive bladder symptoms in post-menopausal patients? Preliminary results.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the role of vaginal fractional CO2 laser treatment in the relief of Overactive Bladder (OAB) symptoms in post-menopausal women. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Post-menopausal women who complained of one or more symptoms related to vulvo-vaginal atrophy (VVA), who experienced symptoms of OAB and who underwent vaginal treatment with fractional CO2 laser were enrolled in the study. At baseline (T0) and 30 days post-treatment T1), vaginal status (using Vaginal Health Index - VHI), subjective intensity of VVA symptoms (using a visual analog scale - VAS) and micturition diary were evaluated. OAB symptoms were also assessed using a validated questionnaire. RESULTS: Thirty patients were enrolled. A statistically significant improvement in VVA symptoms was observed and in VHI at T1 (p < 0.0001). A significant improvement was also identified in the micturition diary, in number of urge episodes and OAB-q (p < 0.0001). Nine of the 30 patients suffered from incontinence episodes and had improved at T1. CONCLUSIONS: We showed that fractionated CO2 laser vaginal treatment has proved to be effective in improving OAB symptoms in post-menopausal women. Moreover, it is a safe and efficacious measure for the relief of VVA related conditions. Further long-term studies are needed to confirm these preliminary results.

[Urinary incontinence in pregnancy and in puerperium: 3 months follow-up after delivery]. / Incontinenza urinaria in gravidanza e nel puerperio: follow-up a 3 mesi dal parto.

AIM: The aim of this clinic prospective study was to point out the predisposing risk factors for the development of urinary incontinence during pregnancy and postpartum and to understand how to prevent the symptomatology. METHODS: Sixty seven primipara women at 32 weeks of pregnancy and 3 months after the delivery, were studied through an urogynecological work-up and a questionnaire on the main urinary symptoms. RESULTS: At 32 weeks of pregnancy, 27 patients (40.29%) were affected by stress urinary incontinence (SUI) of type I and 22 (32.83%) by urge incontinence. Three months after delivery, it was observed SUI of type I in 8 patients (15.68%), SUI of type II in 9 patients (17.64%), SUI of type II and II degree cystouretrocele in 3 patients (5.8%) and urge incontinence in 14 patients (27.45%). The most frequent risk factors that were tracked down were: a vaginal delivery, with a prolonged labour, and the episiotomy. We didn't find either substantial changes in the weight between patients continent and incontinent or correlations with the patients' age or with the weight of the foetus and the symptomatology reported. CONCLUSION: It is important to understand the beginning of the urinary symptoms in the pregnant women, to prevent the worsening of it. It is required, however, a long term follow-up on our patients to verify if the urinary incontinence persists or disappears by the time is needed.

Tension-free cystocele repair: an analysis after a follow-up of 24 months.

AIM: The aim of the study is to verify whether tension free cystocele repair is really a good choice for the correction of moderate or severe cystocele. The surgical approach is transvaginal and involves the use of nonabsorbable prolene mesh. METHODS: We enrolled 177 women with a combined genital prolapse, characterized by second degree cystocele, first degree hysterocele and first degree rectocele or more severe conditions. All the patients underwent a complete urologic and gynecologic work-up before the surgical treatment consisting in a Y-shaped mesh placed on the prevesical fascia. This technique was implemented providing a tension free prosthesis. RESULTS: Our results on a total of 169 patients after a follow-up of 24 months are the following: 19 patients (11%) reported a recurrent cystocele (grade II) of which 9 patients at 6 months follow-up presented a vaginal wall erosion that determined a surgical explantation of the mesh; 2 patients (1%) showed a persistent dyspareunia and were treated with estrogen therapy that gave an improvement of the symptomatology although it did not disappear; 10 (6%) patients, among the women treated only for cystocele repair (cystocele III ), complained of stress urinary incontinence of 1st degree; and, finally, 150 patients (89%) didn't report any recurrence of cystocele. CONCLUSION: Given the good results obtained after a follow-up of 24 months (89% of the cure rate), we can consider this procedure simple, mini-invasive, reproducible and efficient with low morbidity and good tolerance. It is a promising approach in the management of pelvic floor dysfunctions that induces minimal foreign body reaction.