Monalisa Touch

Do you suffer from Vaginal Discomfort?

Dryness, vaginal burning, urinary incontinence and other discomforts in the vaginal area can occur during pre-menopause or after childbirth.

The main cause of these issues if often attributed to atrophic vaginitis, a disease of the vagina that can affect day to day life and the relationship with your partner.

There are some interesting statistics surrounding this problem:

• 75% of women have found that vaginal atrophy adversely affects their lives.
• 63% of women fail to recognise vaginal atrophy as a chronic condition
• 44% of women do not consult a gynaecologist to discuss their options
• 4% of women only recognised the common symptoms of vaginal atrophy

Vaginal Atrophy

Vaginal atrophy is the thinning, drying and inflammation of the vaginal walls that occur when the body produces less oestrogen. This occurs most often after women reach the menopause.

In many cases women do not understand the symptoms of this disease and must consult a gynaecologist at the earliest opportunity.

Vaginal atrophy makes intercourse extremely painful for women and also leads to distressing urinary symptoms. The condition is commonly referred to as ‘genitourinary syndrome of menopause’ by consultants due to its both vaginal and urinary symptoms.

Symptoms

• Vaginal dryness
• Vaginal burning
• Vaginal discharge
• Genital itching
• Burning with urination
• Urgency with urination
• Frequent urination
• Recurrent urinary tract infections
• Urinary incontinence
• Light bleeding after intercourse
• Discomfort with intercourse
• Decreased vaginal lubrication
• Decreased vaginal lubrication during sexual activity
• Tightening of the vaginal canal

What are the causes of vaginal atrophy?

Vaginal atrophy is caused by a decrease in oestrogen production in the body. This causes the vaginal tissues to thin, become drier, less elastic and more fragile.

There are several reasons for a drop-in oestrogen including:

• After menopause
• The lead up to the menopause
• Surgical menopause
• During breast feeding
• Whilst taking certain medicines including birth control pills
• After pelvic radiation therapy for cancer
• After chemotherapy for cancer
• As a side effect of breast cancer hormonal treatment

Many women will experience the symptoms in the years leading up to the menopause and many will experience them a few years into the menopause. Regular sexual activity will help to maintain healthy vaginal tissues.

There are also certain factors which will contribute to vaginal atrophy including:

• Lack of sexual activity can decrease blood flow and make the vaginal tissue less elastic
• Smoking will affect your blood circulation and lessen the flow of blood and oxygen to the vagina
• If you haven’t experienced vaginal births previously you are more likely to develop symptoms.

Dyspareunia – pain during sexual intercourse

One after effect of vaginal atrophy is dyspareunia which is simply pain during sexual intercourse. As explained if you have experienced vaginal atrophy your vagina is thin and fragile and above all dry and unlubricated.

This causes pain during intercourse and in many cases leads to consequences in your relationship, lack of sexual desire and uneasy feelings during intimate moments with your partner.

Urinary incontinence

In women over the age of 35 this is one of the most common problems they face with many types and levels including stress, urgency and mixed reflux.

It is common for women to not face this problem head on due to its embarrassing nature, however there are now state of the art and minimally invasive treatments available.

The MonaLisa Touch – how it works and helps patients

The MonaLisa Touch is a functional vaginal rejuvenation treatment based on a special fractional CO2 laser specifically created for the vaginal mucosa.

MonaLisa Touch prevents and resolves oestrogen drops in the vaginal tissue by re-activating the production of new collagen and re-establishing the conditions that the vaginal mucosa once had.

The MonaLisa Touch is now the most effective non-surgical, minimally invasive solution for prevention and treatment of vaginal atrophy and its after effects.

The CO2 laser gently acts on the vaginal walls through a special scanner creating indistinguishable micro-lesions that are required for triggering a neocollagenesis process and re-equilibrating the components of the vaginal mucosa.

The laser’s action safely and painlessly reactivates the proper function of the relative urogenital structures while also improving the symptoms associated with urinary dysfunction.

A tissue regeneration process lasting several weeks is triggered but stimulation occurs immediately, and significant improvements can be seen after the first treatment.

The Results

Starting from the first treatment the mucosa tissue becomes more nourished and hydrated and the epithelium becomes thicker and more toned and elastic. It also helps to re-establish the correct vaginal pH which helps to maintain its natural protective barrier and reduces the risk of infection.

One simple treatment with the MonaLisa Touch can give the tissues the tone and elasticity it once had meaning a positive effect on the patient’s life and personal relationships.

Studies have shown the following results after just three treatments using the MonaLisa Touch:

Shown in a percentage improvement:

• Burning 84%
• Itching 85%
• Dryness 76%
• Dyspareunia 72%
• Laxity 90%