IncontiLase® in Calgary: A Non-Invasive Solution for Stress Urinary Incontinence
Laughing. Sneezing. Running. Jumping. Lifting weights.
These are normal parts of everyday life — but for people living with stress urinary incontinence (SUI), they can also trigger unwanted and sometimes embarrassing bladder leakage.
Urinary incontinence is common, but that does not mean you simply have to live with it.
At MAUD Medical Clinic, Calgary’s dedicated vaginal health and women’s health centre, we believe bladder health deserves to be talked about openly. More importantly, patients deserve to know that there are multiple treatment options available for urinary incontinence — including pelvic floor physiotherapy, EMSELLA® and advanced non-surgical technologies.
MAUD Medical Clinic is expanding those options with Fotona IncontiLase®, a non-invasive laser treatment designed to address mild to moderate stress urinary incontinence.
Using Fotona’s TimeWalker® II IntimaLaser™ platform, IncontiLase® uses controlled laser energy to stimulate collagen remodelling and strengthen the tissues supporting the bladder and urethra — without incisions, cutting or surgery.
What Is Stress Urinary Incontinence?
Stress urinary incontinence is the involuntary leakage of urine when increased pressure is placed on the bladder.
You might notice leaking when you:
Cough
Sneeze
Laugh
Run
Jump
Lift weights
Exercise
Pick up something heavy
Participate in high-impact activities
For some people, this means an occasional few drops of urine. For others, bladder leakage becomes significant enough that they begin changing how they exercise, socialize, travel or go about their daily lives.
Stress urinary incontinence can develop when the muscles and connective tissues that help support the bladder and urethra become weakened or altered.
Pregnancy and vaginal childbirth are commonly associated with pelvic floor changes, but bladder leakage can also develop or become more noticeable with aging and changes to the pelvic and vaginal tissues.
Hormonal changes during perimenopause and menopause can also affect the vagina, urinary tract and surrounding tissues. Learn more about menopause care at MAUD Medical Clinic.
Whatever the reason, urinary leakage should not be dismissed as something you simply have to accept.
What Is IncontiLase®?
IncontiLase® is a non-invasive Er:YAG laser therapy developed by Fotona for the treatment of mild to moderate stress urinary incontinence and certain cases of mixed urinary incontinence.
Er:YAG stands for Erbium:Yttrium-Aluminum-Garnet, which is the type of medical laser used during the treatment. While the name sounds technical, its purpose is relatively simple: the laser delivers precisely controlled energy to targeted tissue, creating a gentle heating effect that stimulates the body’s natural collagen remodelling and new collagen production.
For IncontiLase®, this technology is used inside the vagina to target tissues that help support the bladder and urethra. The goal is to improve the strength, firmness and structural support of these tissues, which may help reduce bladder leakage associated with stress urinary incontinence.
Unlike surgical treatments, IncontiLase® does not require incisions or sutures.
The treatment uses Fotona’s proprietary SMOOTH® technology with a 2940 nm Er:YAG laser to gently and precisely heat targeted vaginal tissue.
This controlled thermal effect stimulates the remodelling of existing collagen and the production of new collagen within the vaginal mucosa and collagen-rich supporting tissues.
The goal is to strengthen and tighten the tissue around the anterior vaginal wall, vestibule and urethral region, providing greater structural support to the bladder and urethra.
This is an important distinction because bladder leakage can have different causes. Different treatments may address different components of pelvic and bladder health, which is why an appropriate assessment is an important first step.
How Does IncontiLase® Work?
Collagen plays an important role in the strength, structure and elasticity of our tissues.
Fotona’s IncontiLase® treatment uses precisely controlled laser energy to create a thermal effect within the vaginal tissue without surgically cutting or removing the tissue.
According to Fotona, its SMOOTH® mode technology stimulates collagen remodelling and new collagen formation.
As collagen remodels, the treated vaginal mucosa and collagen-rich endopelvic fascia can become firmer and tighter.
This can provide improved support around the bladder and urethra, helping reduce involuntary urine leakage associated with stress urinary incontinence.
IncontiLase® therefore takes a different approach from surgery — and also a different approach from treatments that primarily target the pelvic floor muscles.
What Happens During an IncontiLase® Treatment?
One of the most appealing features of IncontiLase® is its non-surgical approach.
There is:
No incision.
No cutting.
No bleeding.
No sutures.
Fotona describes the procedure as virtually painless, and anesthesia is generally not required.
A specially designed laser delivery system is used to deliver controlled energy to the vaginal tissue, with particular attention to the anterior vaginal wall and tissues surrounding the urethral region.
The treatment creates controlled heating rather than surgically removing tissue.
Because IncontiLase® is non-ablative, recovery is generally quick. Fotona reports that patients can typically return to normal everyday activities immediately following treatment.
Your MAUD provider will discuss what to expect before and after your individual treatment.
How Many IncontiLase® Treatments Are Needed?
Treatment plans should always be individualized.
Fotona reports that two IncontiLase® sessions, typically performed approximately one month apart, are sufficient for many patients with mild or moderate stress urinary incontinence.
However, the number of treatments appropriate for you may depend on the severity of your symptoms, anatomy, medical history, pelvic health and response to treatment.
This is why assessment matters.
At MAUD, we don’t believe every person with bladder leakage should automatically receive the same treatment.
Urinary incontinence can have different causes, and understanding those causes helps determine which treatment — or combination of treatments — may make the most sense.
What Does the Research Say About IncontiLase®?
Fotona reports encouraging clinical outcomes for IncontiLase® in patients with mild to moderate stress urinary incontinence.
In clinical data reported by Fotona, 94% of patients reported improvement 120 days following treatment, while 68% reported being free of stress urinary incontinence symptoms at that point.
Research has also included randomized controlled studies.
A randomized placebo-controlled trial involving 114 premenopausal women who had given birth found that women receiving non-ablative Er:YAG laser treatment experienced significantly greater improvements in stress urinary incontinence symptoms at three months than those receiving placebo treatment. Twenty-one percent of laser-treated participants were completely dry at follow-up compared with 4% in the placebo group.
As with any medical treatment, individual results vary, and no treatment can guarantee that urinary leakage will be completely eliminated.
Research into laser therapy for urinary incontinence also continues to evolve. At MAUD, our goal is to provide patients with education about available options so they can make informed decisions about their pelvic and bladder health.
IncontiLase® vs. Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy
These treatments should not necessarily be viewed as competitors.
They address pelvic health differently.
Pelvic floor physiotherapy at MAUD can assess the function of the pelvic floor and help address concerns including stress incontinence, pelvic pain, pelvic organ prolapse, postpartum changes and pelvic floor dysfunction.
A pelvic floor that isn’t functioning optimally does not always simply need to become “stronger.” Coordination, tension, weakness, breathing, pressure management and other factors can all contribute to symptoms.
IncontiLase®, meanwhile, uses laser energy to target the connective tissues of the vaginal wall and supporting structures around the urethral region.
For some patients, a comprehensive pelvic health plan may involve more than one approach.
IncontiLase® vs. EMSELLA®
MAUD Medical Clinic also offers EMSELLA®, another non-surgical option for urinary incontinence.
However, EMSELLA® and IncontiLase® use completely different technologies.
EMSELLA® uses high-intensity focused electromagnetic energy to stimulate powerful pelvic floor muscle contractions. A patient remains clothed while sitting on the EMSELLA chair as electromagnetic energy stimulates the pelvic floor.
IncontiLase® uses Fotona’s non-ablative Er:YAG laser technology to create controlled heating within vaginal connective tissues, stimulating collagen remodelling and improving support around the urethral region.
One focuses primarily on neuromuscular pelvic floor conditioning.
The other focuses primarily on collagen and connective tissue support.
Depending on the cause of someone’s bladder leakage, one treatment may be more appropriate than another — and some patients may benefit from a broader pelvic health strategy.
Is IncontiLase® Right for Me?
IncontiLase® may be worth discussing if you experience urine leakage when you:
Cough or sneeze
Laugh
Run
Jump
Exercise
Lift weights
Participate in sports
Perform other activities that increase pressure on your bladder
It is particularly designed for people experiencing mild to moderate stress urinary incontinence.
But bladder leakage isn’t always stress incontinence.
Someone who suddenly experiences an overwhelming need to urinate and struggles to reach the bathroom in time may instead be experiencing urge urinary incontinence.
Some people experience both stress and urge symptoms, known as mixed urinary incontinence.
There may also be other medical, hormonal or pelvic floor factors contributing to bladder symptoms.
This is one of the reasons MAUD takes a broader approach to pelvic health rather than treating every bladder concern in exactly the same way.
Bladder Leakage Is Common. Silence Shouldn’t Be.
Too many people organize their lives around their bladder.
They stop jumping on the trampoline with their children.
They avoid running.
They cross their legs before sneezing.
They wear pads “just in case.”
They find the bathroom immediately when they arrive somewhere.
They stop doing certain exercises at the gym.
And sometimes they simply assume that leaking urine is the price they have to pay for having children or getting older.
It isn’t something you have to quietly accept.
At MAUD, we want conversations about bladder leakage, vaginal health, menopause and pelvic health to become as normal as conversations about any other part of healthcare.
Our Calgary clinic brings together different approaches to pelvic health, including pelvic floor physiotherapy, EMSELLA®, menopause care and advanced vaginal laser technology.
The goal isn’t simply to offer another device.
The goal is to give patients more options and help determine which option is appropriate for them.
IncontiLase® at MAUD Medical Clinic in Calgary
MAUD Medical Clinic now offers advanced Fotona vaginal laser technology through the TimeWalker® II IntimaLaser™ platform, expanding our treatment options for vaginal, pelvic and intimate health.
IncontiLase® provides an incision-free, non-surgical option designed to address stress urinary incontinence by stimulating collagen remodelling and improving tissue support around the bladder and urethra.
If you have been experiencing bladder leakage when you cough, sneeze, laugh, exercise, run or lift, the first step is understanding why you’re leaking.
At MAUD, you can speak with a medical doctor about your bladder and pelvic health concerns, discuss your symptoms and learn which treatment options may be appropriate for you.
Ready to Talk About Bladder Leakage?
If urinary leakage is affecting your exercise, confidence, comfort or everyday activities, you don’t have to figure out the next step alone.
Book a consultation with a MAUD medical doctor today to discuss your symptoms and determine which treatment options may be appropriate for you.
BOOK A MEDICAL DOCTOR APPOINTMENT
From pelvic floor physiotherapy and EMSELLA® to advanced IncontiLase® laser technology, MAUD offers multiple approaches to bladder and pelvic health — because urinary incontinence is not one-size-fits-all.
You don’t have to plan your life around bladder leakage. Let’s talk about it.
Individual results vary. IncontiLase® may not be appropriate for every patient or every type of urinary incontinence. A consultation and appropriate clinical assessment are recommended to determine suitable treatment options.
