Research Article

Changes in transperineal ultrasound findings in patients with stress urinary incontinence treated with Er:YAG laser

Volume: 64 Number: Özel Sayı: 1 (11. Ulusal Ürojinekoloji Kongresi Bildiri Kitapçığı) August 25, 2025
TR EN

Changes in transperineal ultrasound findings in patients with stress urinary incontinence treated with Er:YAG laser

Abstract

Aim: Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is defined as the involuntary leakage of urine during coughing, sneezing, physical exertion, or exercise. Its prevalence varies with age (29%-75%), with an average of 48% (1-2). Laser is one of the non-invasive methods used in treatment (3). This study aimed to evaluate transperineal ultrasound findings before and after laser treatment in patients treated for stress urinary incontinence. Materials and Methods: The study included 13 patients with stress urinary incontinence who underwent Er:YAG laser treatment at the Urogynecology Clinic of Istanbul University Faculty of Medicine Hospital. The mean age of the patients was 47.69 years (range: 36–63), and the mean BMI was 29.13 (range: 21.7–39.3). Patients received three sessions of urethral and vaginal Er:YAG laser treatments at one-month intervals. Bladder wall thickness, urethral length, urethral wall thickness, and genital hiatus width were evaluated with transperineal ultrasound before the treatment and at the third month following the completion of the treatment. Results: After treatment, a reduction in bladder wall thickness was observed, but the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.245). A significant increase in urethral length (p=0.002), an increase in urethral wall thickness (p=0.008), and a reduction in genital hiatus width (p<0.001) were observed, and these findings were statistically significant. Conclusion: Significant changes related to the etiology of stress urinary incontinence were observed in transperineal ultrasound findings before and after Er:YAG laser treatment. While bladder wall thickness, which is associated with urge urinary incontinence, did not show a significant change with laser treatment, the increases in urethral length and urethral wall thickness, mechanisms preventing stress urinary incontinence, showed significant improvement. The reduction in genital hiatus width indicates that laser treatment strengthens pelvic floor muscles and helps prevent incontinence.

Keywords

References

  1. Nygaard IE, Heit M. Stress urinary incontinence. Obstet Gynecol. 2004;104(3):607-620. doi:10.1097/01.AOG.0000137874.84862.94
  2. Abufaraj M, Xu T, Cao C, et al. Prevalence and trends in urinary incontinence among women in the United States, 2005-2018. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2021;225(2):166.e1-166.e12. doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2021.03.016.
  3. Incontinence 7th Edition (2023). ICI-ICS. International Continence Society, Bristol UK, ISBN: 978-0-9569607-4-0.
  4. Conté C, Jauffret T, Vieillefosse S, Hermieu JF, Deffieux X. Laser procedure for female urinary stress incontinence: A review of the literature. Prog En Urol. 2017;27(17):1076-1083. doi:10.1016/j.purol.2017.09.003.
  5. Clinical significance of anatomical urethral length on stress urinary incontinence women Yu Seob Shin et al, Int J Womens Health ,2018 Jul 6:10:337-340.
  6. Inci Sema Tas, Cenk Yasa, Funda Gungor Ugurlucan, Alkan Yildirim. Association between Pelvic Floor Dysfunction and Pelvic Floor Ultrasonography Evaluation in Pregnant Women: A Cross-Sectional Study. Clin. Exp. Obstet. Gynecol. 2022, 49(9), 203.
  7. The pathophysiology of stress urinary incontinence in women and its implications for surgical treatment J O DeLancey, World J Urol, 1997;15(5):268-74.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Obstetrics and Gynaecology

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

August 25, 2025

Submission Date

February 7, 2025

Acceptance Date

August 6, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2025 Volume: 64 Number: Özel Sayı: 1 (11. Ulusal Ürojinekoloji Kongresi Bildiri Kitapçığı)

Vancouver
1.Elif Ünal, Utku Karatoprak, İnci Sema Taş, Cenk Yaşa, Funda Güngör Uğurlucan. Changes in transperineal ultrasound findings in patients with stress urinary incontinence treated with Er:YAG laser. EJM. 2025 Aug. 1;64(Özel Sayı: 1 (11. Ulusal Ürojinekoloji Kongresi Bildiri Kitapçığı):9-11. doi:10.19161/etd.1635288

Ege Journal of Medicine enables the sharing of articles according to the Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) license.