title: First assessment of short-term efficacy of Er:YAG laser treatment on stress urinary incontinence in women: prospective cohort study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This is the first assessment of efficacy and safety of the Er:YAG laser in the treatment of stress urinary incontinence. The aim of this study was to assess the short-term outcome of a non-invasive laser treatment for mild-to-severe stages of this condition and to check its applicability in different body mass index and age groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective cohort, single-center study at the Ob/Gyn Clinic, Zagreb, Croatia recruited a consecutive sample of 73 female patients suffering from stress urinary incontinence. The procedure was performed with a 2940-nm Er:YAG laser (XS Dynamis, Fotona, Slovenia) designed to achieve heating up of vaginal mucosa to around 60°C, 500-700 μm in depth.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The score in the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Urinary Incontinence Short Form was reduced to a median of 46% (95% confidence interval 33-67%; p < 0.001). The reduction was significantly higher in women with normal body mass index (67%) than in overweight women (25%), as well as in women younger than 39 years (100%) compared with those older than 60 years (8%) (p < 0.001). No serious adverse events were noticed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study of Er:YAG laser therapy in women has demonstrated a clinically relevant, short-term improvement of stress urinary incontinence, with minimal adverse events of a transient nature.
authors.affiliation: a Ob/Gyn Clinic, University Hospital Merkur , Zagreb , Croatia.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fistonić
authors.affiliation: b Ob/Gyn & Menopause Clinic , Zagreb , Croatia.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fistonić
authors.affiliation: c Division of Gynecology, University Medical Center , Ljubljana , Slovenia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lukanovič
authors.affiliation: b Ob/Gyn & Menopause Clinic , Zagreb , Croatia.
authors.forename: Š
authors.initials: Š
authors.lastname: Findri Guštek
authors.affiliation: d Institute of Public Health , Rijeka , Croatia.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sorta Bilajac Turina
authors.affiliation: e Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , General Hospital Ptuj , Slovenia.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Franić
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015331:Cohort Studies; D017523:Croatia; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006979:Hyperthermia, Induced / Q000379:methods; D053844:Lasers, Solid-State / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014550:Urinary Incontinence, Stress / Q000628:therapy*
keywords: Er: YAG LASER; QUALITY OF LIFE; STRESS URINARY INCONTINENCE