The Potential of Non-ablative Erbium (YAG) Laser Treatment for Complications After Midurethral Sling Surgery: A Narrative Review

Overview

Journal Cureus

Specialty Biomedical Engineering

Date 2024 Apr 19

PMID 38638175

Authors

Nobuo Okui

Affiliations

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Abstract

Midurethral sling (MUS) surgery, using tension-free vaginal tape and transobturator tape, has been widely adopted for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence (SUI). However, postoperative complications, including persistent urinary incontinence, mesh exposure, and pain, have become problematic, and surgical treatments for these complications face challenges, such as invasiveness, treatment-resistant cases, and recurrence. This review provides an overview of the current evidence regarding these complications and the potential of vaginal non-ablative erbium (YAG) laser (VEL) treatment as a minimally invasive option with low risk of complications. Studies have suggested the effectiveness of VEL treatment, performed using devices such as IncontiLase (SP Dynamis; Fotona d.o.o., Ljubljana, Slovenia), for persistent urinary incontinence after MUS surgery, pain following mesh removal, and asymptomatic mesh exposure. VEL treatment is expected to be a new treatment option for complications following MUS surgery; however, further large-scale comparative trials are required to verify its efficacy and safety and to establish criteria for its indications. Appropriate assessment of the indications and provision of sufficient information to patients is important when presenting VEL as a treatment option.

Citing Articles

Unsupervised clustering analysis of treatment strategies for elite female athletes with severe stress urinary incontinence: focusing on competition return and SUI improvement.

Okui N, Okui M Int Urol Nephrol. 2024; .

PMID: 39733386 DOI: 10.1007/s11255-024-04337-6.

The Treatment Selection for a 36-Year-Old Woman With Stress Urinary Incontinence Using a Discrete Mathematical Approach: A Case Report.

Okui N Cureus. 2024; 16(5):e61314.

PMID: 38947714 PMC: 11212846. DOI: 10.7759/cureus.61314.

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