Have hot flashes and mood swings as a result of menopause made it difficult to enjoy life? Have hormonal changes made sex particularly uncomfortable or even painful? Menopause is a life change for a variety of reasons, but those changes don’t have to leave you feeling miserable.
The staff at Urological Associates, located in Charlottesville, Virginia, help women like you overcome the challenges that menopause brings, particularly when it comes to vaginal health. A new and innovative laser technology called MonaLisa Touch® is engineered to improve the symptoms of menopause in your sex life so you can start feeling like your old self again.
Menopause alters your hormone levels. Estrogen tends to decrease, which causes the vaginal walls to become dry and thin. Blood flow and natural lubrication slow down, which can make intercourse painful for a lot of women. Other menopausal symptoms include genital itching and increased risk of urinary tract infection. The MonaLisa Touch can help with these symptoms and reduce the risk of UTI.
Using safe and effective laser technology, the MonaLisa Touch uses single beams of laser energy to heal vaginal tissue lining. Many microbeams of laser light treat the area to promote fast, therapeutic healing. The beams release controlled heat to promote cellular regeneration and production of blood vessels at a depth that is determined by your doctor.
The healing process stimulated by MonaLisa Touch also produces collagen, which restores elasticity and resilience. Fluid producing cells wake up and vaginal pH decreases allowing natural lubrication and restoration of normal vaginal bacteria. This process allows vaginal tissues to function more naturally with sexual arousal and can reduce the risk of urinary tract infection. With the Mona Lisa Touch, these improvements can be achieved without the need for topical or systemic estrogen therapy. Therefore, Mona Lisa Touch is especially appropriate for breast cancer patients who may be suffering from menopausal symptoms and cannot use estrogens.
The MonaLisa Touch is a fast and gentle procedure, lasting only five to ten minutes. The procedure is performed in the office using local anesthesia, and no recovery time is required. Most patients will have vaginal discomfort for several days after the procedure. This is especially true after the first treatment and usually less bothersome after the subsequent treatments. These symptoms are treated with topical medications if needed and sexual activity can resume after one week. You may feel like resting for a day or two after the first procedure.
Most patients require three treatment sessions at 6-week intervals. About half of the patients will notice positive changes after the first treatment, and 80-85% will report improvement after three treatments are completed. A single annual maintenance treatment will usually preserve the benefits achieved with the initial three sessions.
Vaginal discomfort is a normal and anticipated side effect of menopause, but you don’t have to put up with it anymore. If you think you might be a good candidate for the MonaLisa Touch, you can reach the staff at Urological Associates by calling 434-201-2182. We look forward to hearing from you.
