As a city gynaecologist introduces a non-surgical device to perform aesthetic vaginal procedures, experts debate whether the Khloé Kardashian-approved ‘wand’ can revive your sex life
If you drop by at gynaecologist Dr Sejal Desai’s clinic in Sarla Hospital, Santacruz, your eyes might be drawn towards a slick stick attached to a radio-frequency machine. The 43-year-old obstetrician and gynaecologist, who has been practising surgeries since 2003, is the first in the city, and maybe only the fourth in India, to possess this instrument known as Thermiva. “It’s FDA-approved and available in India. However, it’s new and many gynaecologists may not know about it. Those who do refer to it as the wand,” she smiles, as she gears to launch Indian Academy of Vaginal Aesthetics this week (at a closed-door event with a performance by the members of The Vagina Monologues). It is an initiative to spread awareness and train doctors for different aesthetic vaginal procedures, the primary one being the non-surgical, minimally invasive Thermiva.
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In April, Khloe Kardashian revealed that her sisters, who’ve had kids, used vagina laser for tightening
The vagina dialogue
“Studies show that sexual intimacy leads to lesser chances of hypertension, diabetes, depression and insomnia. In my research, I have also found that nearly 70 per cent Indian women post the age of 40 suffer from sexual dysfunction, along with orgasmic disorders or lack of libido. Many marriages deteriorate due to the lack of intimacy. So, the idea is to spread awareness about simple, non-invasive treatments to help boost sex lives,”
she adds.
Thermiva came into spotlight this April when Kim Kardashian’s sister Khloé revealed about “a vagina lasering thing to tighten it” that her sisters used post bearing kids in a talk show. “It’s a thermal device powered by radio frequency. It heats up the stick’s metal head to a controlled temperature of up to 40°C. It can be used on vulva or in the vaginal tract. The heat helps remodel your own collagen (structural protein) and tightens your vagina. The same principle applies to the face. It also helps increase lubrication and enhance the G-spot, leading to better orgasms. Within three sittings, you can do away with wrinkles in that area too,” shares Desai, who has trained under Dr Red Alinsod at South Coast Urogynecology Centre in Los Angeles. Known for several patents in this field, Alinsod also chairs the clinical board of Thermi-Aesthetics (the product creators).
No stress
Desai asserts that the main benefit of Thermiva is to alleviate stress incontinence, an occurrence where a woman’s bladder leaks urine due to a physical activity. “Sixty per cent of Indian women suffer from this problem, and that’s only the reported cases. It occurs post pregnancy or during menopausal stages, among women above 40. A decade ago, the only way to cure it was by performing a complicated laparoscopic surgery. Then, we started using TVTO (Tension-Free Vaginal Tape-Obturator) tapes. I still routinely operate with tapes on severe cases but it’s easier to treat mild ones with this,” says Desai, who has tried it on women ranging from 18 to 83 in the last few months, since the time she brought the product here. “Three patients between 75 and 83 years complained of pro-lapse (also known as cystocele), a condition where you feel that an organ is coming out of vagina. While we didn’t see a physical change, they did feel a difference. The tightening works on first-degree pro-lapse.”
What’s the drawback?
The procedure, which involves a minimum of three sittings, can set you back by a lakh. Besides, there’s no guarantee of complete cure. “In a surgery, I can assure that the condition will get cured. Here, it depends on the person’s body tissues and collagen levels but we have seen a success rate of 85 to 90 per cent,” sums up Desai.
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