Is a surgical treatment that is used to create a vagina?
Surgery can be done after a woman has had a vaginectomy for vaginal cancer. It can even be used to create a vagina for a woman born without one due to vaginal agenesis. Likewise, vaginoplasty can be used to create a vagina for transgender women as a type of gender assent surgery. A vagina through vaginoplasty, is called neovagina aveces.
Therefore several different types of vaginoplasty are offered and the most appropriate depends on several circumstances. In particular, the type of vaginoplasty may be limited by the age of the woman and the indication of vaginoplasty. The appropriate surgery for an adult transgender woman, would not be the same for a young cisgender. The most frequent types of vaginoplasty are intestinal, peritoneal, McIndoe, buccal mucosa and inversion of the penis.
Intestinal vaginoplasty
The intestinal vaginoplasty uses a section of the sigmoid colon and thus creates the neovagina. This is generously done as a laproscopic surgery. This laparoscopic surgery is also known as minimally invasive surgery because there is only a small incision through the skin. For this surgery, a small piece of colon is separated and then turned down to become the coating of it. Then, the surrounding colon is sutured to restore its function.
In addition of this treatment, have been some events and criticism that intestinal vaginoplasty may cause excess mucus in the vagina and mucus with an unpleasant odor. But these side effects are not consistent.
Healthy vaginal lining also produces mucus and is self-lubricating. The colon segment is also flexible in a way that is more similar to regular vaginal lining than other tissue options used to cover neovagina.
Peritoneal vaginoplasty
For Instance peritoneal vaginoplasty also uses the lining of the abdominal cavity to create the vagina. Like intestinal vaginoplasty, peritoneal vaginoplasty is usually a laparoscopic procedure.
Women who undergo this procedure do not need to use dilation to maintain their vaginal opening if they have frequent sex.
There may be a risk of rectovaginal fistula with this procedure, and with other types of vaginoplasty. Fistulas are usually treated with surgery. A rectovaginal fistula is when the rectum and vagina have a hole between them.
McIndoe Vaginoplasty
McIndoe, it is a technique, a procedure or vaginoplasty that are quite different from the procedures of peritoneal and intestinal vaginoplasty.
To inequality of peritoneal and intestinal vaginoplasties, this McIndoe technique does not require abdominal surgery to create the lining. In contrast, McIndoe’s vaginoplasty lines the vagina with a skin graft. That skin graft is placed in a vaginal mold and then placed in the space that was opened to transform into the vagina. Mold that is used continuously during the first months, after surgery to promote the healing of the vagina in an open cavity suitable for intercourse. To inequality of the peritoneum and the intestine, the skin is not a mucous tissue. Therefore, they do not self-lubricate. This increases the risk of the vaginal opening closing. Because of that, women who practice a McIndoe procedure and do not have sex have to give themselves up to dilate their vaginas for the rest of their lives.
Vaginoplasty of the oral mucosa
The oral mucosa is what covers the mouth. It is very similar to the lining of the vagina. Both tissues are hairless and create mucus. Therefore, in some way, it is an ideal lining for a neovagina created during vaginoplasty.
However, oral vaginoplasties are not as common as other vaginoplasty procedures for several reasons. Only a relatively small area of tissue is available. People may be concerned about side effects in the mouth and cheeks. In addition, the inside of the mouth is not an area in which most gynecologists are accustomed to work. Therefore, they may have to collaborate with facial surgeons to collect the tissue in an appropriate manner.
Penis inversion vaginoplasty
Vaginoplasty with penis inversion is only used in transgender women. In this procedure, the skin is removed from the outside of the penis and inverted to create the lining of the vagina. The head of the penis is also remodeled to create a clitoris. Finally, scrotal skin is used to create the major and minor lips.
This procedure is similar when using the skin for a McIndoe vaginoplasty. The hair should be removed completely to make sure there is no hair inside the vagina. The vagina requires a lifetime of dilation for its maintenance.
In Conclusion although only transgender women can get a penile inversion vaginoplasty, this is not the only type of vaginoplasty they can get. Transgender women can also be offered an intestinal vaginoplasty as primary surgery or if they need a surgical revision. At least one transgender woman has also undergone peritoneal vaginoplasty, but they are not widely available for this population.