DIAGNOSIS & TREATMENTS

CAUSES OF VAGINAL SHORTENING AND TREATMENT OPTIONS

Learn more about what can cause a surgically shortened vagina and the minimally invasive technique Miklos & Moore Urogynecology offers for vaginal lengthening success.

shortened vagina

Vaginal shortening can occur after any gynecologic surgery. When shortening occurs, it can be one of the most difficult complications to correct.

Procedures that could cause vaginal shortening include:

  • Hysterectomy
  • Vaginal prolapse repair
  • Bladder suspension surgery
  • Bladder tack
  • Anterior repair
  • Posterior repair
  • Enterocele repair
  • Vaginal mesh surgery
  • Sacrospinous ligament suspension
  • Vault suspension

On the left is the side view of a surgically shortened vaginal vault

TESTIMONIALS

“Just wanted to say happy one year anniversary to me. Just really wanted to say thank you so much for everything, you changed my life dramatically and how I feel and it’s making only the best come my way. I hope you all are doing great there and hopefully I can come for a visit somewhere in the near future!”

Davydov Patient, Canada

“I want to thank you all so much for everything you all have done for me. You have literally changed my life, and I cannot express how thankful I really am. I feel loads better today, and I’m sure it will only get better.”

Davydov Patient, Kentucky

A SHORTENED VAGINA AS A RESULT OF OTHER SURGICAL PROCEDURES MAY BE DEVASTATING TO A WOMEN’S SEXUAL LIFE.

Pain with intercourse or not being able to have intercourse is the number one complaint of patients with a shortened vagina. Patients state that they had no problem with sexual intercourse prior to their surgery, however after surgery the vagina is either too short or there is pain with thrusting.

Many patients are told “don’t worry, it will get better” or that there is nothing that can be done about it; however, this is far from the truth. There IS hope for women suffering from this condition!

Surgical Technique

Laparoscopic Neovagina

The Davydov procedure is routinely used to create vaginal canals in young women that are born without a vagina, however Drs. Miklos and Moore were one of the first surgeons in the world to successfully utilize this procedure to lengthen surgically shortened vaginas.

Drs. Miklos & Moore have been performing the laparoscopic Davydov procedure since 1999.

shortened vaginaDrs. Miklos and Moore have been able to modify the Davydov procedure to create vaginal length in patients with shortened vaginas. It is the least invasive technique, with minimal complications and gives the greatest chance of vaginal lengthening success. The patient’s own internal tissue (i.e. the peritoneum which is the lining of the pelvis) is mobilized and utilized to lengthen the vagina, therefore no external grafts are necessary and the risk of scarring down is minimized.

Drs. Miklos and Moore have helped women with shortened vaginas after cervical cancer and radiation therapy. Patients who have undergone radiation therapy often have severe scarring. This is considered one of the most complicated types of patients to lengthen a vagina, however they have used the procedure successfully.

The shortened vagina is opened and the peritoneum from the pelvis is advanced down to the opening to create the lining of the new vaginal canal.

Drs. Miklos & Moore have successfully restored vaginal length in women who have failed other surgical lengthening procedures. They have successfully utilized the laparoscopic Davydov technique on patients who have already undergone and failed: McIndoe, Vecchietti, and Gracillis flap procedures, or other vaginal lengthening procedures including attempts at lengthening with dermal grafts.

Patients that have had previous surgery cannot believe how much easier the approach was with Dr. Moore and Miklos and the results they achieved after the procedure resulting in a normal, full length, functioning vagina!

 


Treatment options for a short vagina include both surgical and nonsurgical techniques.

Non-surgical interventions include:

Pelvic floor physical therapy | Pelvic floor massage | Vaginal dilators

There are many invasive procedures utilizing skin grafts, muscle flaps, biologic animal grafts or even bowel to lengthen the vagina, however these techniques can be unnecessarily invasive with possible higher complication rates especially when compared to the technique Drs. Miklos & Moore utilize.


Resources

Click below to read a case report written by Drs. Miklos and Moore on surgically shortened vaginal lengthening.

Learn More

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