Vulvovaginal symptoms are common problems in General Practice and may be difficult to manage. Professor Jason Abbott will discuss his latest research into the use of laser therapy for vulvovaginal symptoms related to menopause.

He will then compare his results to all the studies that have been published so far. This is part two of this article. This is part two of this article. Read Part 1 of this transcript>>

Practice points

• Young women do not get more severe gynaecological symptoms when they are treated for breast cancer. They do get symptoms, they get these early and quite suddenly, because they are induced, but the symptoms aren’t different or any more severe than if they have had a natural menopause.
• The cost of the treatment needs to be taken into consideration as well, $2,500 to $3,500 in Australia, very similar to what we see overseas and in the United States.

• The risk of major complications is relatively low, but they can be really quite severe. Women have had vaginal strictures, urethral strictures and burns in the vagina, and post-treatment dyspareunia.

• Minor complications include post-treatment, spotting and bleeding, post-treatment pain and urine infections.

• Vulvovaginal laser is a therapy that anyone can do, gynaecologists, general practitioners or cosmetic surgery clinics; and these are the areas where the treatment is being pushed.
• The outcome of Prof. Abbott’s double-blind, randomised and placebo-controlled trial was that laser therapy is not any more effective than placebo for the management of vulvovaginal symptoms due to menopause.
• We have to go to the science and make sure that this is driving our care for patients.