Innovative Procedure for Women with Estrogen Deficiencies Now Available at Shawnee Mission Health

Merriam, Kan. In his Urogynecology practice, Patrick Nosti, MD, treats many patients who suffer from side effects of estrogen deficiency. Hormonal changes caused by menopause or medications lead to vaginal atrophy, which can cause gynecologic symptoms such as burning, vaginal itching, painful intercourse, dryness, and urinary incontinence. These changes can have a profound impact women's daily lives and intimate relationships.

Dr. Nosti is the first physician in Johnson County to offer an innovative, non-surgical procedure called MonaLisa Touch. This procedure provides a new option for many women seeking relief from these common symptoms. MonaLisa Touch uses a C02 fractional laser to stimulate new collagen production in the vagina, which improves blood flow and lubrication restoring natural vaginal function without causing pain or exposing patients to the risk associated with estrogen supplements.

MonaLisa Touch provides fast relief for the uncomfortable symptoms associated with vaginal atrophy, said Dr. Nosti. For some women, traditional estrogen treatments are either ineffective or contraindicated, as is the case for breast cancer survivors. For these patients in particular, MonaLisa Touch cannot only provide symptom relief, but greatly improve quality of life.

The treatment has been available in Europe since 2008 and was FDA approved in the United States in 2014. "More than 20,000 patients have been treated worldwide since it was first made available," said Dr. Nosti. Studies and patient feedback have been overwhelmingly positive, showing high patient satisfaction and no significant complications. "I'm excited to finally have a non-hormonal treatment option for my patients who suffer from these life-altering symptoms," said Dr. Nosti.

For details about the MonaLisa Touch procedure, visit https://www.urogynkc.com/monalisa-touch-kansas-city/.

About Shawnee Mission Health

SMH is a network of health care facilities and services located throughout the Kansas City metropolitan area and surrounding communities. The network includes Shawnee Mission Medical Center (SMMC) in Merriam, Kan., a 504-bed facility with more than 22,000 inpatient admissions and more than 200,000 outpatient admissions annually; SMH Prairie Star, a comprehensive health care facility located in western Lenexa, Kan.; Centra Care Shawnee Mission Urgent Care and physician practices located throughout Johnson and Leavenworth Counties. SMH serves more than 72,000 patients in its emergency departments annually, has the area's first accredited Chest Pain Emergency Center and delivers more babies each year at SMMC than any other hospital in the metropolitan area. SMH also has some of the highest customer service or HCAHPS scores in the Kansas City metro. The network employs more than 3,200 local residents and supports an exceptional staff of nearly 700 physicians representing 50 medical specialties, the largest medical staff of any full-service hospital in Kansas City. Visit us online at ShawneeMission.org.