Safety and efficacy of vaginal laser therapy for stress urinary incontinence: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND

Laser therapy has recently been proposed as a novel treatment for stress urinary incontinence (SUI) due to offering several advantages. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of laser treatment of SUI by a meta-analysis.

METHODS

The systematic review registration number is INPLASY202080001. A comprehensive search to identify relevant studies was conducted using the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CNKI, VIP and Wanfang databases with a cutoff date of 1 November, 2020. Outcome measures were extracted based on subjective and objective indexes, including International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form (ICIQ-UI-SF), Pelvic Organ Prolapse/Urinary Incontinence Sexual Questionnaire (PISQ-12), and objective measurements "1-hour pad test" (1-hour test under standardized conditions). Score changes before and after treatment were evaluated through meta-analysis. Subgroup analysis was performed according to geographic region, type of urinary incontinence (UI), severity of UI, age, and body mass index (BMI).

RESULTS

Sixteen published clinical research studies, involving 899 patients with SUI, were included in this study. After laser treatment, the change in the ICIQ-SF score at 1, 2, and 6 months was -5.49 (95% CI: -6.74--4.24; I2=91%, P<0.01), -4.97 (95% CI: -6.24--3.71), and -5.48 (95% CI: -6.15--4.81), respectively. The improvement in 1-hour pad weight test results at 1, 3, and 12 months post treatment was -5.59 (95% CI: -6.93--4.25), -4.96 (95% CI: -6.73--3.20), and -5.82 (95% CI: -6.77--4.87), respectively. The PISQ-12 score increased by 5.39 (95% CI: 1.20-9.58) following treatment. Subgroup analysis identified the type and severity of UI as the potential source of heterogeneity. Adverse effects were reported in 6 of the 16 trials and affected only a small number of patients. Most adverse events were mild or moderate and required no medical intervention or resolved in a few days.

CONCLUSIONS

Vaginal laser therapy appears to be a safe, effective, and minimally invasive treatment option for SUI that can be well tolerated by patients.