Receiving a breast cancer diagnosis is one of the scariest things women worry about. Aside from the obvious physical hardships and the medical treatments and decisions to be made, there are certainly emotional and mental hardships to endure as well. Summoning your courage to face the road ahead and rallying your support system are important aspects of battling this disease, and when combined with stellar medical care, the hope is that the battle becomes a bit more tolerable. With the advances in medicine that are available now, breast cancer patients have more options than ever when it comes to treatments and addressing treatment side effects – and we think that’s wonderful!
As we all know, there are many physical hurdles women with breast cancer must overcome. From the more obvious, such as having a mastectomy and choosing whether to have reconstructive surgery after, to the tolls that chemotherapy and radiation can take on the body. A lesser-known effect of chemotherapy and/or breast cancer hormonal therapy is Vulvo-Vaginal Atrophy, or VVA. This is the thinning, drying and inflammation of the vaginal walls due to a decrease in estrogen. This condition can cause many unpleasant symptoms, and often leads to a lower or inactive sex drive. It may seem that sex drive and vaginal irritation would be the least of a breast cancer survivor’s concerns, but in actuality, a healthy sex life is an important part of reclaiming the fulfilling life she led prior to her diagnosis.
At the Women’s Wellness Institute of Dallas, we are pleased to offer our patients a non-surgical, non-hormonal technology that is ideal for breast cancer survivors who are often unable to receive conventional treatments for the debilitating symptoms of VVA. The MonaLisa Touch is a medical laser that revitalizes the cells in the vaginal mucosa (vaginal tissue) so that they make more collagen, an essential ingredient in vaginal cell health that can help women recover from genital atrophy and enjoy complete relief from symptoms they suffer from every day. The treatment itself is available to all women who suffer from VVA, but for breast cancer survivors, a 10% discount is extended.
To learn more about this procedure and whether it would be a viable solution for you, contact us for a consultation with Dr. Brady, and let us help you get YOU back!