New post-menopausal treatment called ‘a game changer’

For women with post-menopausal symptoms, Southeast Sculpting and Rejuvenation in Baxter Village has an answer.

The medical spa offers the MonaLisa Touch procedure, an in-office treatment that requires no anesthesia and is essentially painless, said Dr. Joe Robinson with Southeast Sculpting and Rejuvenation.

“We try to stay on the cutting edge of modern treatments,” he said.

The procedure, which received FDA clearance in 2014, helps women who have changes in their gynecologic health resulting from menopause or other factors causing a decline in estrogen levels, Robinson said. As estrogen decreases, women can experience dryness and sensitivity, thinning and shrinking of tissues, intimacy issues and urinary problems.

“These poor ladies are suffering and not talking about it,” said Michelle Hirsch, a nurse with Southeast Sculpting and Rejuvenation.

In 2010, nearly 64 million women were post-menopausal and experienced gynecologic health changes due to declining estrogen levels, according to the medical spa. In the United States, 50 percent of post-menopausal women experience symptoms due to changes in their gynecological health.

MonaLisa Touch delivers CO2 laser energy to the vaginal wall tissue that stimulates collagen production and kick starts the healing of the vaginal canal, Robinson said.

“It’s really dramatic the difference it makes for the health of our women patients,” he said. “It’s very clearly effective for all the women who are symptomatic.”

Since bringing MonaLisa Touch technology to Fort Mill in October, Southeast Sculpting has treated eight patients.

The procedure has been in Europe for years, but is new in the United States, Robinson said. He said Southeast Sculpting felt the MonaLisa Touch fit well with its mission to help clients feel and look better.

“It’s another way to enhance a woman’s self-image,” he said. “It helps women feel more whole and able to respond.”

The procedure is good for women who cannot take estrogen supplements, such as breast cancer survivors, as it requires no hormones, Robinson said. Low estrogen levels can affect younger women as well, hurting their ability to be intimate.

“It’s going to be a game changer, especially for younger women who have had breast or ovarian cancer,” Hirsch said.

Women often begin to see results within the first week of undergoing MonaLisa Touch, Robinson said. The full procedure is done with three five-minute in-office treatments spaced five to six weeks apart. An annual single treatment is recommended to maintain the relief of symptoms.

The average cost is $2,200 per patient. Although the cost isn’t typically covered by most health insurance plans, flexible spending accounts can be used to pay the bill.

With the aging population, Robinson said the treatment is needed to help more women, especially those that cannot or do not want to undergo hormone therapy.

“We’re excited about giving women in this area that opportunity,” he said.

This story was originally published December 14, 2015 at 9:58 AM with the headline "New post-menopausal treatment called ‘a game changer’."