The Evidence

Abstract. – OBJECTIVE: This is a pilot study to evaluate the effectiveness of concomitant adminitration of hyaluronic acid and topical hyperbaric oxygen therapy (THOT) by a specifically designed medical device (vaginal natural oxygenation device, VNOD) in improving the symptomatology of postmenopausal patients with vulvovaginal atrophy (VVA).

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Women with diagnois of severe VVA from September 2017 to May 2018 were included. Five biweekly administration of THOT and concomitant of hyaluronic acid were pered with a specifically designed medical devce. In each occasion, the intensity of patient’s symptoms (wellbeing such as absence of dyspareunia, vaginal dryness, vulvar and/or vaginal itching; vaginal burning; presence of fluid) was determined with a graduated scale from 1 to 6 and the vaginal elasticity and the vaginal wall epithelium appearance were also determined with a graduated scale from 1 to 5. The change in all parameters from baseline to end of therapy was evaluated.

RESULTS: Twentyfive patients were considered for the final analysis. A significant improvement in well-being (0.3 vs. 5.1, p < 0.001), vaginal burning (0.2 vs. 5.1, p < 0.001), presence of fluid (0.6 vs. 4.9, p < 0.001), vaginal epithelium appearance (1.8 vs. 4.7, p < 0.001), and vaginal elasticity (1.1 vs. 3.8, p < 0.001) was observed between the first and the last therapy session. All the patients reported a recovery of their sexuality at the end of the five treatment sessions.

CONCLUSIONS: In this pilot study, the use of VNOD seems to be a valid treatment of VVA, re sulting in a completely natural type of therapy well accepted by patients with immediate therapeutic effects and without side effects; these findings must be confirmed in a well-designed randomized controlled trial.