Laser Vaginal Tightening with Non-ablative Er:YAG for Vaginal Relaxation Syndrome. Evaluation of Patient Satisfaction

The main reason patients seek vaginal tightening surgery is because they feel loose or large and/or wish to increase friction and enhance sexual pleasure for themselves and their partner. In light of the possible side effects of surgery, there is a need for an effective minimally-invasive treatment. Nonablative, thermal-only, minimally invasive Laser Vaginal Tightening (LVT) was evaluated in 50 consecutive patients in our practice. All patients were treated using 2940 nm Er:YAG laser according to the IntimaLase® protocol for LVT. Patient satisfaction after the procedure was evaluated by a questionnaire 1-8 months after the procedure. Patients were asked to rate their satisfaction with the LVT procedure and to rate the improvement of their sexual satisfaction after the procedure on a scale from 0 to 10. They were also asked whether they would be willing to repeat the procedure and whether they would recommend the procedure to others. 42 out of 50 patients (84%) responded to the questionnaire. The mean level of improvement in sexual satisfaction was 7 (SD=3.1) and the mean level of satisfaction with the LVT procedure was 7.5 (SD=3.1). 34 patients (81%) would be willing to repeat the procedure and recommend the procedure to others. There were no side effects. Non-ablative LVT should be offered to patients who seek surgery because of a sensation of wide vagina. Most patients are likely to be satisfied with the results of LVT and thus avoid the risks and/or cost of surgery.