How laser therapy is used to treat vaginal dryness

For millions of women, vaginal dryness has been a problem that is both difficult to discuss and difficult to live with. Though drying of the vaginal mucosa can occur for a number of reasons and at any age, vaginal dryness is one of the primary symptoms of atrophic vaginitis, the hallmark condition of perimenopause and postmenopause.

Laser Vaginal Dryness treatment in Wood Stock from Dr. Sanjay Gandhi

Atrophic vaginitis is the condition in which the tissues in and around the vagina become thin and inflamed. Typically, the vaginal mucosa is covered with a thin moisture barrier. The amount of moisture in the vagina is expected to increase with arousal. Due to biochemical changes that occur with pregnancy, age, and other factors, nourishment and lubrication of the vaginal walls decreases.

To varying degrees, 75 percent of women going through menopause are affected by atrophic vaginitis. Symptoms such as dryness can lead to discomfort under tight clothing and painful intercourse. Women whose sexual interactions are marked by pain due to dryness may then carry an enormous emotional burden, feeling less desirable and less feminine than they would like.

Dr. Sanjay Gandhi, renowned Illinois urogynecologist, is proud to be an accredited center where women can obtain laser treatments for vaginal dryness and other symptoms of atrophic vaginitis. The Mona Lisa Touch is one of the latest developments in medical lasers, designed specifically for the rejuvenation of vaginal mucosa.

The Mona Lisa Touch is a CO2 laser that uses precise fractionated light to affect delicate tissues. In a treatment session that takes only about five minutes, tiny “wounds” are made in the vaginal wall. The impact is so minute that treatment is virtually painless and does not require anesthesia. Following treatment patients are able to resume normal activities. Immediately, the body begins its restorative work, increasing the production of collagen to treated tissues. At the same time, the various components in the vaginal mucosa begin to reinstate the proper moisture.

Vaginal dryness is only one of several symptoms that may decrease the quality of life in the years following menopause. You can address the effects of low estrogen in a private consultation at North Shore Urogynecology. With offices in Lake Forest, Woodstock, and Park City, IL, we serve an extended area.

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Sanjay Gandhi, M.D.

Sanjay Gandhi, M.D.
Partners in Pelvic Health North Shore Urogynecology

Conditions affecting the female pelvis are the focus at Partners in Pelvic Health North Shore Urogynecology. We provide effective solutions for these problems from our offices at Park City, Woodstock, and Lake Forest in Illinois.

Our team is headed by Sanjay Gandhi, MD, Urogynecologist. Dr. Gandhi’s specialized education included a residency in gynecology and obstetrics at Northwestern University and a three-year urogynecology fellowship. He is among a few in the country to pass the first examination in Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery (URPS) of The American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He also teaches healthcare students.