Neocolpopoiesis with split-thickness skin graft as a surgical treatment of vaginal agenesis: Retrospective review of 201 cases

OBJECTIVES: Our goals were to present a modified Abbe-Mclndoe technique of vaginoplasty with split-thickness skin graft and to analyze 51 years of experience in performing this procedure. STUDY DESIGN: Two hundred one women with vaginal agenesis were diagnosed and operated on by the same surgeon in 51 years (1943 through 1994). The patients' ages ranged from 14 to 41 years with an average of 20.5 years (SD 3.9 years). In most of the cases surgical intervention was performed when the patient desired to begin her sexual experience, The graft was taken from the thigh or gluteal region, followed by dissection of the urethrovesicorectal space. The access in this space was performed through two mutually perpendicular incisions (a modification of the Abbe-Mclndoe technique). A multiholed, rigid plastic mold was inserted during surgery and was replaced after 8 to 10 days with a semirigid silicone mold, which remained in place at least 6 months after operation or until the patient became sexually active. RESULTS: We retrospectively reviewed 201 cases of Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome in which vaginoplasty was performed. The data were obtained from the personal records of Dan Alessandrescu, MD, PhD, for the 76 cases operated on between 1943 and 1967 and from the medical records in the Polizu Hospital Archive, Bucharest, Romania, for 125 cases operated on between 1968 and 1994. Overall surgical mortality was null. Intraoperative and postoperative complications consisted of two rectal perforations (1%), eight graft infections (4.0%), and 11 infections of graft-site origin (5.5%). Additional information was obtained during follow-up. Sexual satisfaction was investigated with objective (depth of constructed vagina) and subjective (ability to have sexual intercourse, presence or absence of dyspareunia, vaginal lubrication, orgasm) criteria and was analyzed on a qualitative scale. In 12 patients we performed biopsies of the neovaginal wall for histologic evaluation. CONCLUSION: Because of the simplicity, low morbidity, and high success rate, our modified Abbe-Mclndoe technique is a procedure of choice for vaginoplasty.