FORMER METHODS Previously, the options to attempt to repair vaginal laxity were surgery, which carried high risks of complications, Kegel exercises, which often increased pelvic floor function but resulted in no change to sexual function, or injections of fillers, which gave very limited effect, if any, as described below. • Vaginoplasty involves surgery with removal of some of the tissue and tightening of the vagina. This is done under general anaesthetic and has a downtime of several weeks, in terms of recovery. Surgery can improve sexual function but there are significant risks involved. Unfortunately there is a high complication rate of women who will experience pain during intercourse post vaginoplasty. There are also a significant number of women that will experience chronic pain post surgery. • Kegel exercises are exercises to help strengthen the pelvic floor. These exercises need to be performed daily and the effect ceases as soon as they are stopped. While some women swear by Kegel exercises to keep them taut and happy, it’s time consuming with dismal results for many. Kegel exercises basically help to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles but do not address the tissues within the vagina or the vaginal opening. As such, the general consensus seems to be preventive rather than curative with regards to true vaginal laxity. • An unproven approach has been to inject lipofillers, hyaluronic acid and other bulking agents into the vagina to increase the volume. This practice has very scarce evidence of improved sexual function and also carries risks. The risks include vascular occlusions and nerve damage. SO WHAT IS THE GENEVEVE SYSTEM? Geneveve System is the application of low-dose, nonablative radiofrequency energy. This causes activation of fibroblasts, a type of cell that produces new collagen fibres in the vaginal tissue, leading to an initiation of tissue response with collagen remodelling. These changes occur at the cellular level so there are no visible marks or telltale signs left on the vaginal tissue. A thumb-sized treatment tip is placed just inside the vaginal opening and circumferentially moved around by the attending physician to deliver pulses of energy to the collagen fibres that make up the underlying tissues. It is a 30-minute, outpatient treatment that is pain-free and doesn’t require anaesthesia, with little to no downtime. As such, the woman is able to resume normal activities immediately following the procedure. With just one treatment, the regenerative process is initiated, but the full effect will build gradually over time, with optimal results continuing to improve up to 90 days. In clinical trials to date, almost 90% of the women treated reported significant, sustained tightening at 12 months after treatment, with an average improvement of 68%. Dr Drew Moffrey has over a decade of experience working in women’s health and is very excited to be at the forefront of such an innovative procedure that will significantly impact women’s lives. “The main area of my practice until now has been obstetric services and I am so passionate about helping women birth their babies safely. Now with Geneveve I can also help them after they have birthed their baby to restore sexual function to what it once was,” Dr Moffrey said. The Geneveve System is approved for use in over 50 countries and there have been numerous studies that prove the effectiveness of the Geneveve System and its safety. The studies showed that women who have had the treatment are three times more likely to report no vaginal laxity than those that have had no treatment done. The study also showed that nine out of ten patients had significant improvement in sexual arousal or significant improvement in achieving orgasm. As with any procedure, the safety profile is extremely important and the Geneveve System has been through vigorous testing, with minimal side effects. In the randomised placebo controlled study, the number of adverse events were equal in both the treatment and placebo group. In fact, there were no significant adverse events to report. Of those adverse events, many are typically mild, temporary, and resolve shortly after treatment. Reported complications and side effects include: slightly elevated white discharge; redness or swelling; focal, transient “altered sensation” and “tingling” following treatment. The unique part of the Geneveve System is the redundancy of several treatments like other energy-based treatments on the market. All that is needed is one, half-hour treatment. IT IS A 30-MINUTE, OUTPATIENT TREATMENT THAT IS PAIN FREE AND DOESN’T REQUIRE ANAESTHESIA, WITH LITTLE TO NO DOWNTIME. It does not need to be repeated and the collagen deposits have long-term benefits, because of the deeper penetration of the monopolar radio frequency. Patients will have a noticeable difference in vaginal laxity from one-month post treatment, and will continue to have improvements for up to six months. In the long term, the results are still present at 12 months. The treatment does not need to be repeated but it can be if there are subsequent vaginal deliveries that cause vaginal laxity to return. Dr Drew Moffrey has over a decade of experience in women’s health and has had a private practice at Pindara for over four years. Previously, Dr Moffrey was the deputy director of Logan Hospital. Dr Moffrey specialises in Obstetrics and Gynaecology with a special focus on gestational diabetes and sexual health and function. 44 Pindara Magazine
Pindara Private Hospital Magazine - Issue Ten
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