SynthesisRevista brasileira de ginecologia e obstetricia : revista da Federacao Brasileira das Sociedades de Ginecologia e Obstetricia2024
Laser therapy for genitourinary syndrome of menopause: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trial.
Synthesis in Revista brasileira de ginecologia e obstetricia : revista da Federacao Brasileira das Sociedades de Ginecologia e Obstetricia, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Laser and radiofrequency for treating genitourinary syndrome of menopause in breast cancer survivors: A systematic review of randomized controlled trial.International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics · 2026Pooled it
- Clinical and vaginal microbiota effects of oral Lactobacillus crispatus M247 combined with vaginal laser therapy in menopausal women with atrophic vulvovaginitis: a prospective, randomized and controlled study.Lasers in medical science · 2026Trial
- Vaginal Lactobacillus Alteration and Vaginal Symptom Relief After Carbon Dioxide Vaginal Laser Therapy in Postmenopausal Women.International journal of women's health · 2025Trial
- Awareness of Evidence-Based Treatments Among Women with Dyspareunia: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Successful sexual aging: A narrative review using the multidimensional theoretical paradigm of systems sexology to explore sexual health in midlife and older adults.Journal of endocrinological investigation · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Objective: This meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) aimed to update evidence on the effectiveness and safety of laser therapy for treating genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM). Data sources: Manuscripts published until May 2023 were systematically searched in PubMed; Embase; Scopus; Web of Science; CENTRAL; CINAHL; and clinical trial databases (www.trialscentral.org, www.controlled-trials.com, and clinicaltrials.gov), with no language and year of publication restriction. Studies selection: RCTs with women diagnosed with GSM, and the intervention was vaginal laser therapy (CO2-laser or Er: YAG-laser) comparing with placebo (sham therapy), no treatment or vaginal estrogen therapy. Data collection: Two authors evaluated the publications for inclusion based on the title and abstract, followed by reviewing the relevant full-text articles. Disagreements during the review process were addressed by consensus, with the involvement of a third author. Data synthesis: Twelve RCTs, representing a total of 5147 participants, were included in this review. Vaginal health index (VHI) significantly improved in the carbon dioxide laser (CO2-laser) therapy group (MD=2.21; 95% CI=1.25 to 3.16), while dyspareunia (MD=-0.85; 95% CI=-1.59 to -0.10), dryness (MD=-0.62; 95% CI=-1.12 to -0.12) and burning (MD= -0.64; 95% CI=-1.28 to -0.01) decreased. No serious adverse effects were reported. Conclusion: CO2-laser increases VHI score and decreases dyspareunia, dryness and burning, especially when compared to sham-laser. However, the certainty of the evidence is low, thus preventing the recommendation of laser therapy for GSM management.
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Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.