Laser Therapy & Treatment for Stress Urinary Incontinence in Singapore - Fotona IncontiLase

IncontiLase is a patent-pending, non-invasive Er: YAG laser therapy for the treatment of mild and moderate stress urinary incontinence. Using a non-ablative photothermal stimulation of collagen neogenesis, the laser works to shrink and tighten vaginal mucosa tissue and collagen-rich endopelvic fascia to provide support to the bladder.

IncontiLase therapy is a generally safe treatment for mild and moderate stress- urinary incontinence (SUI) and mixed-urinary incontinence (MUI).

What is Urinary Incontinence?

Urinary incontinence is the loss of bladder control, a common and often embarrassing problem. It can occur for various reasons, ranging from occasional leaks when you cough or sneeze, to having a sudden and strong urge to urinate.

It is more common in females than males, and the chances of it happening tend to increase with age. Urinary incontinence is also common for people with conditions such as obesity.

Types of Urinary Incontinence

There are several types of urinary incontinence, such as:

• Stress incontinence – Happens when your bladder experiences stress or pressure from coughing, sneezing, laughing, exercising or lifting heavy objects.
• Urge incontinence – Happens when you have a sudden, intense urge to urinate followed by an involuntary loss of urine. It may be caused by a minor condition, such as infection, or a more severe condition, such as a neurological disorder or diabetes.
• Overflow incontinence – Happens when you don’t empty your bladder completely, causing you to experience frequent or constant dribbling of urine.
• Functional incontinence – Happens when a physical or mental impairment keeps you from making it to the toilet in time.
• Mixed incontinence – Happens when you experience more than one type of urinary incontinence, most often referring to a combination of stress incontinence and urge incontinence.

Causes of Stress Urinary Incontinence

Stress urinary incontinence is caused by an inability to hold urine in the bladder when there are certain movements or activities, such as coughing, sneezing, laughing or lifting heavy objects.

In pregnant women, hormonal changes and the increased weight of the foetus can lead to stress incontinence. Upon vaginal delivery of the baby, it can weaken the muscles needed for bladder control and damage the nerves and supportive tissue, leading to a dropped pelvic floor.

With this, the bladder, uterus, rectum or small intestine can get pushed down from the usual position and protrude into the vagina, causing stress urinary incontinence to occur.

Over time, ageing of the bladder muscle can decrease the bladder’s capacity to store urine. Involuntary bladder contractions are more frequent as you age. Upon reaching menopause, women produce less estrogen, a hormone that helps to keep the lining of the bladder and urethra healthy. Deterioration of these tissues can aggravate incontinence.

Symptoms of Stress Urinary Incontinence

While the main symptom of urinary incontinence is the unintentional leakage of urine, when and how stress urinary incontinence occurs will depend on what caused it.

In the case of stress urinary incontinence, it is more common among women who have given birth or gone through menopause. When their bladder and muscles in the urinary tract experience a sudden extra pressure, they may urinate involuntarily.

The following may also trigger stress incontinence:

• Coughing, sneezing, or laughing
• Heavy lifting
• Exercise

Some people may also experience stress urinary incontinence after suffering an injury to their bladder or pelvic floor muscles.

How does Fotona IncontiLase help with Stress Urinary Incontinence?

Fotona IncontiLase can help treat stress incontinence. It is a non-invasive laser therapy for the treatment of mild and moderate stress urinary incontinence.

This laser uses Er: YAG non-ablative laser whereby the thermal heat can stimulate collagen remodelling and the synthesis of new collagen fibres to shrink and tighten vaginal mucosa tissue and collagen-rich endopelvic fascia to provide support to the bladder.

It is a generally safe laser treatment performed by doctors for mild and moderate stress- and mixed-urinary incontinence (SUI). The procedure is non-invasive and generally painless, with little to no side effects. Plus, the treatment also uses laser energy to tighten the exterior vaginal folds, resulting in a more aesthetic appearance.