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Fractional CO 2 laser of the vagina for genitourinary syndrome of menopause: Is the out‐of‐pocket cost worth the outcome of treatment?
Author(s) -
Lang Patrick,
Dell Jeffrey R.,
Rosen Leonard,
Weiss Peter,
Karram Mickey
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
lasers in surgery and medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1096-9101
pISSN - 0196-8092
DOI - 10.1002/lsm.22713
Subject(s) - medicine , patient satisfaction , genitourinary system , menopause , laser treatment , retrospective cohort study , vagina , telephone interview , sexual function , surgery , laser , social science , physics , sociology , optics
Objectives The purpose of this study is to assess patient's satisfaction treatment outcomes and out‐of‐pocket expense for the fractional CO 2 laser (SmartXide) in the treatment of genitourinary symptoms of menopause (GSM). Materials and Methods A multicenter retrospective cohort study of patients who completed a course of three vaginal treatments with the SmartXide 11 Fractional CO 2 laser. Patients contacted via telephone and asked to participate in questionnaires to evaluate for adverse outcomes since last treatment, symptom severity before and after treatment, patient satisfaction with treatment, patient satisfaction with out‐of‐pocket expense, and sexual function. Results Of the 368 patients contacted, 122 agreed to be interviewed. No patients reported seeking emergent medical treatment. Patient reported vaginal dryness significantly improved following treatment ( P < 0.05). The frequency of intercourse increased from “once a month” to “few times a month” ( P < 0.001). The vast majority of patients reported being satisfied with their treatment results (86%) and with the cost of treatment (78%). Satisfaction with the out‐of‐pocket expense did not correlate with household income ( P = 0.07). Conclusion The SmartXide Fractional CO 2 laser is a safe and efficacious treatment for GSM. This treatment is associated with a high level of patient satisfaction with both treatment results and out‐of‐pocket expense. Lasers Surg. Med. 49:882–885, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.