Results
p<0.05.It
A total of 120 women were included in the survey showing the following characteristics: median (range) age: 59 (55‒65), years of menopause: 7 (5‒10), body mass index (kg/mCharacterization of participants by treatment group.Significance of the difference between groups by ANOVA or Kruskal-Wallis test (continuous variables) or Pearson's Chi-Square test (categorical variables).Continuous data are expressed as mean and standard deviation: ME ± SD or as median and 25Categorical data are expressed in absolute (n) and relative (%) frequencies.MAFRF, Microablative Fractional Radiofrequency; kg, Kilograms; m, meters.Regarding the FSFI scores, there was no difference at baseline in the total FSFI score, thus ensuring homogeneity among the three groups. Both groups, MAFRF (median 4.8 [3.6‒6.0]) and vaginal estrogen (mean 4.7±1.1), experienced improved sexual desire when compared to the control group (median 3.6 [2.4‒4.8]) p = 0.005. Regarding the total FSFI score, the authors observed an improvement before and after treatment for the MAFRF group (median [interquartile range]: 14.2 [12.4‒17.8] - 17.4 [14.4‒22.3] p < 0.01, however, no difference was observed between groups after 90 days, p = 0.557, Comparison of FSFI scores before and after treatment.Significance of the difference between the treatments (paired Significance of the difference between the groups (One-way Anova or Welch's Anova or Kruskal-Wallis).Significance of the comparisons between groups (Tukey or Games-Howell or Dun/Benferroni tests).Continuous data are expressed as mean and standard deviation: ME ± SD or as median and 25Values in bold indicate significance at p < 0.05.It is not possible to run post hoc testing for non-significant results in the Kruskal-Wallis test.FSFI, Female Sexual Function Index; MAFRF, Microablative Fractional Radiofrequency.Concerning vaginal health, there was no difference at baseline in the total VHI score, thus ensuring homogeneity between groups. The authors found statistical significance to vaginal humidity, fluid volume, pH, elasticity, and integrity (p < 0.01) of the MAFRF and vaginal groups. In the total score of VHI, the authors observed an improvement in the mean of the MAFRF (mean [23.7 ± 2.0]) and vaginal estrogen groups (mean [23.5 ± 1.9]) when compared to the control (mean [14.8 ± 2.9]) p < 0.01 (Comparison of VHI scores before and after treatment.Significance of the difference between the moments (paired Significance of the difference between groups (One-way Anova or Welch's Anova or Kruskal-Wallis).Comparisons between groups (Tukey or Games/Dunnferroni test).Continuous data are expressed as mean and standard deviation: ME ± SD or as median and 25Values in bold indicate significance at p<0.05.It is not possible to run the post hoc test for results not achieved in the Kruskal-Wallis test.VHI, Vaginal Health Index; MAFRF, Microablative Fractional Radiofrequency.There was a decrease of 4.0 points in the Nugent scores in the MAFRF group between baseline (4.0) and after 90 days (0.0), Comparison of total Nugent score and MV before and after treatment.There was an increase in MV scores for women in the MAFRF group of 2.3 points between baseline (50.0) and after 90 days (52.3), Microscopic observation of the vaginal microbiota (Gram stain 400 to 1000×) and maturation of the vaginal epithelium (Papanicolaou 400×). Vaginal microbiota in the control group: (A) day 0, (B) day 90; in the vaginal estrogen group: (C) day 0, (D) days 90; and in the MAFRF group: (E) day 0, (F) day 90. Vaginal epithelium maturation in the control group: (G) group day 0, (H) day 90; in the vaginal estrogen group: (I) day 0, (J) day 90; and in the MAFRF group: (K) day 0, (L) day 90.