PERINEOPLASTY COMPARED WITH VESTIBULOPLASTY FOR SEVERE VULVAR VESTIBULITIS

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of vestibuloplasty (vestibular undercutting without excision) to treat severe vulvar vestibulitis. Design Prospective randomisation of patients scheduled for surgery to undergo either perineoplasty or vestibuloplasty. Differences in outcome between groups were analysed using Fisher's exact test. Setting The Vulvar Clinic and referral centre for vestibulitis, Kupath Holim Health System, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Carmel Medical Centre, Rapapport Faculty of Medicine, Hatechnion, Haifa, Israel. Subjects Twenty-one women with vulvar vestibulitis. Results Vestibuloplasty failed to relieve symptoms in 10 women, while perineoplasty resulted in complete resolution of symptoms in 9/11 women (P < 0.002). Conclusions The poor outcome of vestibuloplasty, if also reported by other centres, may render it an unacceptable treatment for vulvar vestibulitis. Vestibuloplasty aims to denervate sensitive vestibular tissue, and its failure may suggest that innervation disturbances are not the main cause of the syndrome.