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Female genital cosmetic surgery: a review of techniques and outcomes

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Abstract

The aesthetic and functional procedures that comprise female genital cosmetic surgery (FGCS) include traditional vaginal prolapse procedures as well as cosmetic vulvar and labial procedures. The line between cosmetic and medically indicated surgical procedures is blurred, and today many operations are performed for both purposes. The contributions of gynecologists and reconstructive pelvic surgeons are crucial in this debate. Aesthetic vaginal surgeons may unintentionally blur legitimate female pelvic floor disorders with other aesthetic conditions. In the absence of quality outcome data, the value of FGCS in improving sexual function remains uncertain. Women seeking FGCS need to be educated about the range and variation of labia widths and genital appearance, and should be evaluated for true pelvic support disorders such as pelvic organ prolapse and stress urinary incontinence. Women seeking FGCS should also be screened for psychological conditions and should act autonomously without coercion from partners or surgeons with proprietary conflicts of interest.

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Conflict of interest

Dr Alinsod: Consultant Coloplast, Ellman International, Cooper Surgical, Monarch Medical Products. None for Drs Iglesia and Yurteri-Kaplan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery, MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC, USA

    Cheryl B. Iglesia

  2. Departments of ObGyn and Urology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, 106 Irving Street, NW Suite 405 South, Washington, DC, 20010, USA

    Cheryl B. Iglesia

  3. Section of Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery, MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Georgetown University School of Medicine, 106 Irving Street, NW Suite 405 South, Washington, DC, 20010, USA

    Ladin Yurteri-Kaplan

  4. South Coast Urogynecology, Inc, 31852 Coast Highway Suite 200, Laguna Beach, CA, 92651, USA

    Red Alinsod

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  1. Cheryl B. Iglesia
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  3. Red Alinsod
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Correspondence to Cheryl B. Iglesia.

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Iglesia, C.B., Yurteri-Kaplan, L. & Alinsod, R. Female genital cosmetic surgery: a review of techniques and outcomes. Int Urogynecol J 24, 1997–2009 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00192-013-2117-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00192-013-2117-8

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