Alice Cola

Dr. Alice Cola


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

5Years (2022-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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9 April 2022 in Medicina
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
Matteo FrigerioMatteo Frigerio
Matteo Frigerio
Marta BarbaMarta Barba
Marta Barba
ACAlice Cola
Alice Cola
ABAndrea Braga
Andrea Braga
ACAngela Celardo
Angela Celardo
MTMarco Torella
Marco Torella
Urinary incontinence (UI) is a very common condition, negatively affecting social, occupational, domestic, and psychophysical wellbeing. In particular, a peculiar and detrimental effect of UI has been described concerning sexual function. However, the impact of UI on quality of life is not fully understood yet, and further investigation into this issue is warranted. With this narrative review, we aimed to report the current evidence from recent literature regarding the quality of life and psychological wellbeing in patients with urinary incontinence, with a special focus on sexual function and its evolution after UI treatment. There is strong evidence that urinary incontinence—in its different forms, including stress urinary incontinence, urge urinary incontinence, mixed urinary incontinence, and coital urinary incontinence—negatively affects female sexual function. Treatments aimed to cure urinary incontinence—including pelvic floor muscles training, medications, and surgery—seem to improve quality of life by recovering, at least in part, sexual function. In conclusion, there is a substantial association between involuntary urinary loss and sex life quality. However, few studies are available and more evidence is needed before consistent conclusions can be made.

8 February 2022 in International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
ACAlice Cola
Alice Cola
GMGiuseppe Marino
Giuseppe Marino
RMRodolfo Milani
Rodolfo Milani
MBMarta Barba
Marta Barba
SVSilvia Volontè
Silvia Volontè
MFMatteo Frigerio
Matteo Frigerio
Objective: To evaluate the 10‐year outcomes of high uterosacral ligaments suspension as a primary repair for apical prolapse and to evaluate the long‐term impact of prognostic factors.Methods: A retrospective study analyzed 10‐year follow up after repair of primary apical prolapse through high uterosacral ligament suspension. Bulging symptoms and postoperative prolapse stage II or above were considered subjective and objective recurrences, respectively. Patient Global Impression of Improvement score was used to evaluate subjective satisfaction after surgery.Results: A total of 287 women were analyzed. Ten‐year recurrence rates were 19.1% for objective recurrence and 6.3% for subjective recurrence; surgical retreatment rate was 2.1%. Premenopausal status was related to 15‐fold increased risk of developing either objective or subjective recurrence. Conversely, anterior and posterior repair were protective factors against reoperation.Conclusion: High uterosacral ligaments suspension is a safe and long‐lasting effective procedure for the treatment of uterovaginal prolapse even 10 years after index surgery. Premenopausal status and lack of anterior and posterior repair represented long‐term risk factors for surgical failure.

26 February 2023 in Bioengineering
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
Matteo FrigerioMatteo Frigerio
Matteo Frigerio
Marta BarbaMarta Barba
Marta Barba
ACAlice Cola
Alice Cola
GMGiuseppe Marino
Giuseppe Marino
SVSilvia Volontè
Silvia Volontè
SMSerena Maruccia
Serena Maruccia
Background: Flat Magnetic Stimulation (FMS) is characterized by a stimulation generated by electromagnetic fields with a homogenous profile. One possible application is the treatment of stress urinary incontinence (SUI). We aimed to compare the objective, subjective, quality of life, and instrumental outcomes in women with SUI not eligible for surgery undergoing either FMS or pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT). Methods: This was a prospective interventional study. After proper counseling, patients with isolated SUI were divided according to their treatment of choice into FMS and PFMT groups. At baseline and after treatment, patients completed the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form, the Female Sexual Function Index, and the Incontinence Impact Questionnaire, and volumetric measurement of the urethral rhabdosphincter (RS) was performed. The Patient Global Impression of Improvement questionnaire and stress test defined subjective and objective cure rates, respectively. Results: We observed improvements in urinary-related quality of life scores and an increase in RS volume after FMS compared to baseline. All these outcomes were significantly better compared to women who underwent PFMT. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that FMS is a safe and effective conservative option for SUI management in terms of objective and subjective cure rates.

Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
SVSilvia Volontè
Silvia Volontè
DVDesirèe De Vicari
Desirèe De Vicari
ACAlice Cola
Alice Cola
Marta BarbaMarta Barba
Marta Barba
Matteo FrigerioMatteo Frigerio
Matteo Frigerio
Background/Objectives: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the most common bacterial infections and one of the most common diseases worldwide. These infections induce an enormous financial and economic burden. The most frequent pathogen in UTIs is Escherichia coli (E. coli), which is responsible for over 85% of cases of cystitis and over 60% of recurrent cases. Repeated antibiotic prescriptions increase the risk of bacteria developing resistance, reducing treatment efficacy and limiting long-term therapeutic options. When traditional preventive methods fail to provide protection, other strategies may be necessary. To investigate the effectiveness of vaccination with Uro-Vaxom for the prevention of UTIs based on currently available studies. Methods: Systematic literature search. Results: The available studies focus almost exclusively on the female sex. Uro-Vaxom decreased the recurrence of UTIs, was overall well tolerated, and reduced the need for antibiotic therapies. Conclusions: Uro-Vaxom is a potential effective and well-tolerated option for reducing the recurrence of UTIs in patients prone to frequent infections. Nevertheless, the retrospective nature of several studies, combined with methodological limitations and variability in study design, precluded a reliable quantitative estimation of the treatment effect.

2 October 2023 in Bioengineering
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
Marta BarbaMarta Barba
Marta Barba
ACAlice Cola
Alice Cola
DVDesirèe De Vicari
Desirèe De Vicari
CCClarissa Costa
Clarissa Costa
ACArianna Petra Castelli
Arianna Petra Castelli
Matteo FrigerioMatteo Frigerio
Matteo Frigerio
Introduction: Genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) and vulvovaginal atrophy (VVA) are the most frequent menopause-related clinical entities and are consistently included in the definition of pelvic floor disorders (PFDs). Nonhormonal therapies, such as lubricants and moisturizers, are indicated as first-line treatments, while the “gold standard’’ is represented by topical estrogen products; however, in cancer survivors hormonal treatment is not indicated. For this reason, energy-based therapeutic approaches—for instance, through laser technologies—may be employed as alternative options in this kind of patient; however, there are no studies evaluating the efficacy of a pure diode vaginal laser in the treatment of GSM. As a consequence, with our study, we aimed to evaluate outpatient nonablative diode laser treatment in sexually active women, with contraindications, no response, or refusal of local estrogenic therapy. Methods: This prospective study included patients with GSM, aged ≥ 18 years old, with contraindications, or refusal of local estrogen therapies. Women were evaluated via the use of their Vaginal Health Index (VHI) scores, which consists of five measures: elasticity, fluid volume, pH, epithelial integrity, and moisture. Moreover, the intensity of VVA symptoms (vaginal burning, vaginal itching, vaginal dryness, dyspareunia, and dysuria) was measured using a 10 cm visual analog scale (VAS), where the left extreme of the scale (score = 0) indicated “absence of symptom” and the right indicated “symptom as bad as it could be” (score = 100). Sexual function was evaluated with the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI-19) questionnaire. The treatment was performed using a Leonardo Dual diode laser (Biolitec Italia Srl, Milano, Italy). The laser treatment consisted of three sessions, one per month. One month after the third session, the VHI, symptom VAS, and FSFI-19 were re-evaluated. In addition, the Patient Global Impression of Improvement (PGI-I) questionnaire was collected. Results: Our study enrolled a total of 26 consecutive patients. All patients were either in menopause or under treatment with gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH). None of the patients reported adverse effects after laser treatment. In total, 19 (73.1%) patients referred improvements of their symptoms according to PGI-I scores. All domains of the FSFI-19 questionnaire, significantly improved after the diode laser treatment. The mean VHI score increased by 3.2 points, from 12.2 to 15.4 (p < 0.001). Additionally, we documented a significant improvement in symptoms affecting the VAS score, from 69.2 to 43.5 points (p < 0.001). Conclusion: A diode vaginal laser is an effective and easily tolerated ambulatory procedure for vaginal functional restoration in the treatment of GSM and VVA.

13 June 2023 in Healthcare
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
Marta BarbaMarta Barba
Marta Barba
ACAlice Cola
Alice Cola
GRGiorgia Rezzan
Giorgia Rezzan
CCClarissa Costa
Clarissa Costa
TMTomaso Melocchi
Tomaso Melocchi
SMSerena Maruccia
Serena Maruccia
Background: flat magnetic stimulation is based on a stimulation produced by electromagnetic fields with a homogenous profile. Patients with stress urinary incontinence (SUI) can take advantage of this treatment. We aimed to evaluate medium-term subjective, objective, and quality-of-life outcomes in patients with stress urinary incontinence to evaluate possible maintenance schedules. Methods: a prospective evaluation through the administration of the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form (ICIQ-SF), the Incontinence Impact Questionnaire (IIQ7), and the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) was performed at three different time points: at the baseline (T0), at the end of treatment (T1), and at 3-month follow-up (T2). The stress test and the Patient Global Impression of Improvement questionnaire (PGI-I) defined objective and subjective outcomes, respectively. Results: 25 consecutive patients were enrolled. A statistically significant reduction in the IIQ7 and ICIQ-SF scores was noticed at T1 returned to levels comparable to the baseline at T2. However, objective improvement remained significant even at a 3-month follow-up. Moreover, the PGI-I scores at T1 and T2 were comparable, demonstrating stable subjective satisfaction. Conclusion: despite a certain persistence of the objective and subjective continence improvement, the urinary-related quality of life decreases and returns to baseline values three months after the end of flat magnetic stimulation. These findings indicate that a further cycle of treatment is probably indicated after 3 months since benefits are only partially maintained after this timespan.