Expert insightsGYNECOLOGY
Dr. Vanessa Rabeau-Conri
Gynecologic Oncologic Surgeon
President, VIVMED
“Quality of life is an integral part of care.”
Why is it important to address women's intimate health?
Because it has long been considered a secondary concern. Vaginal dryness, burning sensations, vulvar pain, painful or impossible intercourse, and urinary leakage affect the majority of women at some point in their lives, yet many never discuss these issues with a healthcare professional.
These symptoms are neither an inevitable consequence of aging nor merely a matter of comfort. They can have a significant impact on sleep, relationships, self-confidence, and professional life.
In oncology, I see women every week who have been cured of cancer but are left to cope alone with the intimate consequences of their treatments. Addressing intimate health means recognizing that quality of life is an integral part of patient care.
For which conditions is regenerative medicine suitable to help relieve symptoms in female patients?
Regenerative medicine has a role as an adjunct to standard-of-care treatments, in carefully selected indications and following a comprehensive clinical evaluation.
With autologous PRP, the primary indications include the atrophic and scarring sequelae of chronic vulvar dermatoses such as lichen sclerosus, once inflammation is under control; painful pelvic and perineal scars or adhesions following surgery or childbirth; and mild stress urinary incontinence in appropriately assessed patients who have already undergone pelvic floor rehabilitation.
In genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM), PRP may be considered as an option for women who cannot or do not wish to use local hormonal therapies, with the understanding that clinical evidence is still evolving and continues to be strengthened.
What has been your experience with RegenLab solutions?
I use RegenLab kits at VIVMED Bordeaux and VIVMED Biarritz for the preparation of autologous PRP. What drove this choice was standardization: a reproducible, closed-system preparation protocol that delivers a consistently high-quality product from one patient to another. This is essential in a field where we aim to evaluate outcomes rigorously.
The combination of PRP and hyaluronic acid is also particularly interesting in indications where both a trophic effect and structural tissue support are desired, especially for scars and fibrotic adhesions.
The procedure is straightforward, well tolerated, and integrates seamlessly into our care pathway alongside rehabilitation, psycho-sexual support, and photobiomodulation.
The benefits observed in terms of tissue flexibility, pain reduction, and overall comfort are significant in some patients, more variable in others, and consistently greater when the injections are part of a comprehensive, multidisciplinary treatment approach.
What message would you like to share with women?
You do not have to resign yourself to living with it. Persistent intimate discomfort is neither normal nor something to be ashamed of, and solutions do exist, even when conventional treatments are not an option.
The first step is often the hardest: talking about it. Choose a healthcare professional with expertise in these conditions, ask all your questions, and make sure you are given clear information about what has been scientifically demonstrated and what is still being investigated.
Your intimate health deserves the same level of care and attention as every other aspect of your health.