Functional and Aesthetic Surgery of Female Genitalia

Abstract

Acceptable appearance of female genitalia have significant impact in functional, as well as in aesthetical sense, since there are many anomalies, either congenital or acquired, which require proper correction. Certainly, attention should be paid to the growing demands and needs for aesthetics in the field of genital surgery, and these women should be helped to prevent the development of genital dysmorphophobia. Various specialties are involved in the work in this specific field, from plastic surgeons, through gynecologists and urologists. The genital surgeon must have sufficient training in sexual medicine to withhold these procedures from women with sexual dysfunction, mental impairment, or body dysmorphic disorder. There is a variety of surgical procedures for better functioning of genitalia such as reduction of enlarged clitoris or creation of new vagina. Many new and redefined techniques are emerging, but very few long-term results and follow up studies are published. Also, reconstruction of missing organs due to trauma or mutilation injuries represents new challenges. Finally, new trends in cosmetic surgery offer better aesthetic appearance and recruit more and more new non-surgical procedures. Patients should always be made aware that the results of surgery or procedures to alter sexual appearance or function are always prone to subjectivism, and must be presented with realistic expectations. In our chapter we will evaluate all the modalities of treatment for this pathology, and we will also pay special attention to a new trend in cosmetic surgery, aesthetic correction of female genitalia. It will be an overview of the possible surgical procedures for women with congenital and functional disorders as well as general principles of aesthetic surgery of the female genitalia. Some details are already fully described in other chapters and will be poorly contributed in our chapter as a reminder of this very important issue. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023.