ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Urinary incontinence is common in patients with genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM). A retrospective cohort study was conducted to analyse the clinical efficacy of carbon dioxide laser combined with pelvic floor functional exercise for GSM with urinary incontinence, aiming to provide evidence for its clinical treatment. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with GSM and urinary incontinence and admitted to our hospital from January 2021 to December 2022 were included and allocated to a control group (pelvic floor function exercise) and combined group (carbon dioxide laser combined with pelvic floor function exercise). Confounding factors among the groups were balanced by the propensity score matching method. The clinical efficacy, GSM scale scores, urinary indicators, urinary incontinence quality of life scale (I-QOL) scores and the degree of urinary incontinence of the groups were compared. RESULTS: A total of 192 patients were included in this study, and 36 cases were included in each group after the propensity scores were matched. No statistical difference in baseline data was found between the groups (p > 0.05). The combined group had higher total effective rate and I-QOL scores but lower GSM symptom scale scores than the control group. Urination during daytime and nighttime was less frequent in the combined group than in the control group, which showed a lower degree of urinary incontinence (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Combining carbon dioxide laser treatment with pelvic floor exercises is potentially effective for patients with GSM and urinary incontinence. This combined approach not only alleviated GSM and urinary incontinence symptoms but also reduced the severity of urinary incontinence, promoted bladder function recovery and enhanced overall quality of life.
