I’m Susan Bratton, intimacy wellness expert to millions, and I’m with my friend Cheryl Schaaf. Cheryl is a board-certified family nurse practitioner with expertise in women’s sexual regenerative treatments. Today, we’re doing a video series in her office in Scottsdale, Arizona, discussing different techniques, how they work, and what might be right. Today, we will talk about the Viveve for Incontinence.
Cheryl Schaaf: https://www.vitalitymds.com/provider/cheryl-schaaf-msn-aprn-fnp-bc
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Hello again! We’ve known each other for years, and we’ve been learning new treatments. We’re talking about the Viveve, a new machine and one I have never experienced before.
Cheryl: The Viveve utilizes radio frequency, whereas the FemiLift uses fractional CO2. The most significant difference is that the Viveve is non-ablative. It does not break the tissue. It heats it to a specific time and temperature to stimulate collagen, which helps with tightening and tone. This is great for women experiencing mild to moderate stress incontinence. Those are the two biggest reasons why women choose this treatment.
Susan: You’re going intravaginally like the FemiLift, which goes up inside, unlike the Cleovanna. These are our other videos that are part of this series. The Viveve is also an intravaginal treatment, but it uses RF instead of CO2 laser technology. That’s the difference. So you like it for tightening if a woman feels like they have a laxity problem. Many women, after childbirth, have that, and it usually goes hand in hand with incontinence. For that, you think this particular technology is the best.
Cheryl: The wand is a bit different from the FemiLift. It looks like a vaginal toothbrush. The energy is delivered on this small piece, and it’s susceptible to contact with the vaginal canal. The power will not be provided unless I have close contact with the actual vaginal tissue. This handpiece is designed for the top part of the vaginal canal, which is why this is good for stress and incontinence because bladder muscles get flaccid as you age.
The pelvic muscles get tightened and toned by the RF, which goes pretty deep. It’s deeper than the laser. This is good for strengthening the pelvic floor.
Cheryl: We focus on that area, so it helps with sensation and sensitivity. This is an excellent procedure because it’s a one-time treatment. It takes a bit longer than the FemiLift, a series of three treatments lasting about five minutes. This is a one-time treatment, but it takes 45 minutes to an hour because energy delivery is slower.
Each pulse lasts eight seconds, and we get deep into that tissue and does it hurt. There’s a heating sensation.
Susan: Everyone’s tolerance to heat is a bit different, mine being the worst. Cheryl says I’m pretty much a giant baby.
Cheryl: You have one of the most sensitive vaginas, which is a good thing! Again, everyone’s tolerance to heat is different, but most women can tolerate this with no problem. If it is intolerable, we could use a bit of lidocaine. For the most part, it’s not necessary.
Cheryl: We recommend no sexual activity for at least three days to be on the safe side, similar to the FemiLift.
Susan: What do you think about combining Viveve with the Cleovanna or the O Shot to have an external and clitoral focus for sensitivity? Is that a good combo?
Cheryl: Honestly, we could combine every single modality. We could connect the Viveve with the FemiLift, O Shot, and the Cleovanna because each procedure targets a little differently. Each process targets a specific function. Depending on what the patient needs, we can create a treatment plan most suitable for her. But if she has the means, she could do it herself.
Cheryl: Yes. Unfortunately, with these procedures, nothing lasts forever. We are aging all the time, so life is maintenance. Typically, with all the techniques, we recommend yearly maintenance.
Susan: There you go. If you have laxity, which is when your vagina feels too open, too wide, or it’s not tight enough, and you want more tone. If you have incontinence, you might want to check out the Viveve RF device or stack it with these other modalities in the rest of the videos in this series.
I’m Susan Bratton with Cheryl Schaaf, and you can follow her on Instagram @sherylschaaf. She has a beautiful Instagram, and you can slide into her DMs and ask her questions.