Laparoscopic vaginal reconstruction using an ileal segment

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the feasibility of laparoscopic vaginal reconstruction using an ileal segment in patients with vaginal atresia, male-female transsexual patients, or patients who had vaginal cancer. METHODS: A retrospective review of the records of 80 patients who underwent laparoscopic vaginoplasty between 2004 and 2007 at Beijing Anzhen Hospital, China. RESULTS: Nineteen (23.8%) patients underwent total laparoscopic vaginoplasty and 61 (76.3%) underwent laparoscope-assisted vaginoplasty. There were 64 (80.0%) primary operations and 16 (20.0%) secondary operations. All of the surgeries were completed successfully and no intraoperative complications occurred. Mean follow-up time was 14 months. Postoperatively, 5 women had vaginal stenosis, while 4 women had no sexual partner during the follow-up period which meant that they could not be assessed completely. The remaining 71 patients were satisfied with their sexual lives after surgery. CONCLUSION: Vaginal reconstruction performed via total laparoscopic vaginoplasty or a laparoscope-assisted technique using an ileal segment has a high success rate for a functional vagina and patient satisfaction.