Vaginal Lengthening Procedures for Noncongenital Indications

The objectives of this video are to provide an overview of autologous grafts, flaps, and biologic grafts for use in vaginal lengthening procedures and to discuss management of shortened vaginal length with differing approaches.

This video reviews iatrogenic and medical causes of shortened vaginal length and management through conservative and surgical approaches. We discuss vaginal dilation-only protocols. We also describe surgical management with buccal grafts, split-thickness grafts, pudendal thigh flaps, and biologic grafts. The first case presents a patient with graft-versus-host disease who was managed via lysis of vaginal adhesions. The second case presents an iatrogenic shortened vaginal length with use of a split-thickness graft via a vaginal surgical approach. The third case presents a patient with a complex genitourinary sinus with upper vaginal obliteration who was managed via a robotics-assisted approach with a biologic graft for vaginal lengthening.

Common causes of shortened vaginal length are iatrogenic and medical etiologies that urogynecologists will see. As vaginal and minimally invasive surgeons, urogynecologists may consider acquiring grafting techniques or collaborative patient care to offer vaginal lengthening procedures to their patients.