’WALK IN, WALK OUT’ PROCEDURES
LEGIONS of women disregard or tolerate symptoms of vaginal relaxation syndrome or VRS, laxity in the muscles and connective tissues supporting the pelvic floor. VRS or loose vagina is commonly caused by childbirth, aging and obesity, and can progress to prolapse of the pelvic organs. It also has symptoms such as urine leaks and loss of sexual pleasure.
Specialist Dr. Bernabe Marinduque's advocacy is to educate women on looking after their pelvic health, and for gynecologists to ask more detailed questions about their patients’ wellbeing and lifestyle.
With the advancement in science, gynecological lasers are becoming popular to treat concerns that range from aesthetics to health issues.
For women in their childbearing years, VRS is commonly caused by slackening of the vaginal muscles and connective tis- sues due to pregnancy and delivery.
Women in their perimenopausal or menopausal years complain of dry vagina because they produce less female hormones.
"Most of the time, these women ignore the symptoms associated with vaginal dryness unless the gynecologist asks. Even if the dryness or itching is mild, the discomfort is ignored. In the long run, there can be debilitating symptoms such as painful sexual intercourse and vaginal bleeding," he says.
Women have complained of incontinence or leaking urine when they cough, laugh, exercise or have sex.
Then there is vaginal atrophy in menopause, when the vagina lining thins out and becomes prone to injury or prolapse—the bulging vagina which can look unsightly in swimwear.
Such inconveniences hamper women's quality of life. Dr. Marinduque says women should be given options. He recommends non-invasive or laser treatments. These are "walk in, walk out procedures," that help enhance the structure of the vaginal canal by tightening the tissues in a fast and painless way for patients.
Dr. Marinduque has performed surgery and non-invasive procedures. "One of the complications with surgery is pain during intercourse after trimming the vaginal tissues. There are postsurgery complications like bleeding and infection, and there's the downtime. With lasers, the procedure has minimal side effects and complications."