On Tuesday, Sept. 27, Dr. April Tillery, a board-certified gynecologist and certified menopause practitioner, will talk about the problem “nobody wants to talk about” and the Mona Lisa Touch, a new therapy that is bringing patients long-awaited relief.
Roughly 85 percent of all post-menopausal women experience vaginal dryness that can result in itching and burning and in painful intercourse that can be an enormous barrier to intimacy, says Tillery.
“For a lot of couples, this ends up being a big elephant in the room and that is never a good thing.”
Until recently, post-menopausal women and those who were experiencing post-menopausal symptoms as a result of a hysterectomy or breast cancer treatments, had limited options. Estrogen creams are expensive and are their effects temporary; some women can’t or don’t want to use them.
In April, Tillery began offering the Mona Lisa Touch, a non-surgical laser therapy that provides women with long-lasting, painless relief with no down time and minimal side effects. The procedure, which is not covered by insurance and costs about $2,000 for the three-course treatment, was developed in Italy and has been used in Europe since 2012.
With menopause, estrogen levels drop and genital tissue dries out and shrinks, Tillery explains. During the Mona Lisa Touch procedure, a laser is inserted into the vagina and used to deliver superficial bursts of energy. This promotes the growth of blood vessels in the area and stimulates collagen-producing fibroblast cells, which make the tissue more stretchy and pliable. Treatments last about five minutes and are performed using a topical anesthesia.
“Women need to start talking about this,” says Tillery. “Viagra has become common dinner table conversation. No one should have to experience pain.”
For more information on the Mona Lisa Touch, attend the information session on Tuesday, September 27 from 6-7:30 p.m. in the lower level conference room at St. Elizabeth Hospital Florence.
Space is limited and reservations are required. Click here for more information, or call (859) 301-5999 to reserve your spot.
From SmartHealthToday, a service of St. Elizabeth Healthcare.
