Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40080112›Full record

Trial reportInternational urogynecology journal2025

Vaginal Erbium Laser Versus Pelvic Floor Muscle Training for Stress Urinary Incontinence: A Randomised Controlled Trial.

Ann-Sophie Page, Eline Borowski, Emma Bauters, Susanne Housmans, Frank Van der Aa, Jan Deprest

Abstract readRandomized Controlled TrialComparative Study
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in International urogynecology journal, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Ann-Sophie PageDepartment Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Pelvic Floor Unit, University Hospitals KU Leuven, and Academic Department Development and Regeneration, Cluster Urogenital Surgery UZ Leuven, KU Louvain, Herestraat 49, 3000, Louvain, Belgium. ann-sophie.page@uzleuven.be.ORCID 0000-0002-1827-0020
Eline BorowskiDepartment Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Pelvic Floor Unit, University Hospitals KU Leuven, and Academic Department Development and Regeneration, Cluster Urogenital Surgery UZ Leuven, KU Louvain, Herestraat 49, 3000, Louvain, Belgium.
Emma BautersDepartment Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Pelvic Floor Unit, University Hospitals KU Leuven, and Academic Department Development and Regeneration, Cluster Urogenital Surgery UZ Leuven, KU Louvain, Herestraat 49, 3000, Louvain, Belgium.
Susanne HousmansDepartment Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Pelvic Floor Unit, University Hospitals KU Leuven, and Academic Department Development and Regeneration, Cluster Urogenital Surgery UZ Leuven, KU Louvain, Herestraat 49, 3000, Louvain, Belgium.
Frank Van der AaDepartment Urology, Pelvic Floor Unit, University Hospitals KU Leuven, and Academic Department Development and Regeneration, Cluster Urogenital Surgery, KU Leuven, Louvain, Belgium.
Jan DeprestDepartment Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Pelvic Floor Unit, University Hospitals KU Leuven, and Academic Department Development and Regeneration, Cluster Urogenital Surgery UZ Leuven, KU Louvain, Herestraat 49, 3000, Louvain, Belgium.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introduction and hypothesisCurrent studies on vaginal laser therapy for the management of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) are inconclusive, and many lack comparison with another conservative treatment. Therefore, we compared the efficacy of Er:YAG laser for SUI with that of pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT).

methodsSingle-centre, randomised controlled trial comparing laser treatment (3-6 applications) with PFMT (9-18 sessions) in women with mild to moderate SUI. Main outcome measures included subjective change in urinary incontinence symptoms by change from baseline to 4 months after randomisation by Urogenital Distress Inventory-6 (UDI-6; primary), adverse events, and other subjective and objective outcomes up to 24 months. A priori sample size calculation for a non-inferiority study resulted in 28 patients per arm. Because of a higher than expected dropout early in the study, we increased our sample size from 56 to 60, without unblinding of the data.

resultsSixty women were enrolled. Two participants discontinued their allocated treatment (one in each group). At 4 months, mean difference in change in UDI-6 scores was -6.99 (95% CI = -22.34; 8.37), demonstrating non-inferiority of laser to PFMT (p = 0.023). Within groups, most patients improved, yet subjective cure was reached in only a minority (laser: 11% [3 out of 28]; PFMT: 8% [2 out of 26]). The mean number of treatment visits was 4.25 (SD 1.17) in the laser group and 10.04 (SD 6.36) in the PFMT group. There were no subjective or objective inter-group differences. At 24 months, the majority of patients requested additional, yet alternative treatment. There were no serious adverse events at any time point.

conclusionsTreatment effect of vaginal laser and PFMT in patients with mild and moderate SUI were comparable, limited and short lasting. No adverse events were reported.

Indexed as

Exercise TherapyLasers, Solid-StatePelvic FloorUrinary Incontinence, StressAdultAgedFemaleHumansMiddle AgedTreatment OutcomeVaginaEr:YAGNon-ablative laserPelvic floor muscle trainingPhysiotherapyStress urinary incontinence

Identifiers

PMID40080112

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.