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The Journal "Obstetrics and Gynecology"Journal HistoryAims and ScopePolicies on Conflict of Interest, Human and Animal Rights, and Informed ConsentEditorial ProcessData sharing statementAdvertising PolicyThe Process for Handling Cases Requiring Corrections, Retractions, and Editorial Expressions of ConcernEditorial BoardEditorial CounsilInformation for ProfessionalsNewsContacts
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InstructionsInformed consent policyContract offerEASE GuidelinesICJME CriteriaWAME Recommendations on ChatGPT and Chatbots in Relation to Scholarly Publications
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Obstetrics and Gynegology2024№5
Modern problems and opportunities in...

Modern problems and opportunities in the treatment of genitourinary syndrome of menopause in the context of medical science and technology development

DOI
https://dx.doi.org/10.18565/aig.2024.77

Ramazanova М.О., Apolikhina I.A., Shershakova E.I.

1) Academician V.I. Kulakov National Medical Research Centre for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology, Ministry of Health of Russia, Moscow, Russia; 2) I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Ministry of Health of Russia (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russia

Genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) is one of the most common complications of female reproductive aging which influences the quality of life and sexual health of most women during menopause. However, no more than 25% of women receive adequate therapy for GSM, even in developed countries. GSM is obviously a serious medical and social problem affecting a wide range of generally healthy women. The issue of finding and studying new, effective and safe, as well as patient-friendly and highly compliant methods for treating symptoms of vulvovaginal atrophy (VVA)/GSM remains extremely relevant, and its importance will only increase in the coming years, taking into account existing demographic and social trends. In addition to the objective risks associated with hormone therapy, which is the gold standard of VVA/GSM treatment, some patients do not want to use hormone-containing drugs, and some patients have contraindications for such therapy, therefore, alternative options for the treatment of GSM symptoms are necessary for them. Laser treatment may be such an option, and according to available data, laser treatment is comparable to local hormone therapy in effectiveness, and may exceed it in terms of safety.
Conclusion: Among the available laser devices used in gynecological practice, ablative and non-ablative lasers can currently be applied for correcting the symptoms of VVA/GSM, and the latter devices are rated as the safest ones. The Nd:YAG laser appears to be a very promising device that has not been sufficiently studied in terms of capabilities, limitations and methods of use in patients with symptoms of VVA/GSM; large-scale studies and observational programs are necessary to assess the effectiveness and safety of its use.

Authors’ contributions: Ramazanova M.O. – developing the concept and design of the study, collecting, processing and analyzing publications on the topic of the article, writing the text; Apolikhina I.A. – developing the concept and editing the article; Shershakova E.I. – editing the article.
Conflicts of interest: The authors declare no possible conflicts of interest.
Funding: The study was conducted without sponsorship.
For citation: Ramazanova М.О., Apolikhina I.A., Shershakova E.I. Modern problems and opportunities in the treatment of genitourinary syndrome of menopause in the context of medical science and technology development.
Akusherstvo i Ginekologiya/Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2024; (5): 24-31 (in Russian)
https://dx.doi.org/10.18565/aig.2024.77

Keywords

postmenopause
vulvovaginal atrophy
genitourinary syndrome of menopause
menopausal hormone therapy
estriol
fractional CO2 laser
neodymium laser
Nd:YAG laser
Full text (in Russian)

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Received 02.04.2024

Accepted 02.05.2024

About the Authors

Marina O. Ramazanova, Obstetrician-gynecologist, PhD student, V.I. Kulakov National Medical Research Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology,
Ministry of Health of Russia, 4, Akademika Oparina str., Moscow, Russia, 117997, mar1naramazanova@yandex.ru, https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2508-7109
Inna A. Apolikhina, Dr. Med. Sci., Professor, Head of the Department of Aesthetic Gynecology and Rehabilitation, V.I. Kulakov National Medical Research Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology, Ministry of Health of Russia, 4, Akademika Oparina str., Moscow, Russia, 117997; Professor of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, Perinatology, and Reproductology, Institute of Professional Education, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Ministry of Health of Russia, i_apolikhina@oparina4.ru, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4581-6295
Ekaterina I. Shershakova, clinical resident of the 2nd year of the direction «obstetrics and gynecology V.I. Kulakov National Medical Research Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology, Ministry of Health of Russia, 4, Akademika Oparina str., Moscow, Russia, 117997, dr.cathynioca@gmail.com,
https://orcid.org/0009-0008-9866-4185

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