Revised Sigmoid Colon Vaginoplasty in Thailand
Interplast Clinic’s pioneering SRS techniques provide the most anatomically correct, functional and aesthetic neovagina.
Revised Sigmoid Colon Vaginoplasty
IN BANGKOK, THAILAND
Interplast Clinic’s pioneering SRS techniques provide the most anatomically correct, functional and aesthetic neovagina.
Revised sigmoid colon vaginoplasty, or secondary sigmoid colon vaginoplasty, is intended for patients who have previous undergone sex reassignment surgery but are not satisfied with the depth of their neovagina, or for patients whose vaginal canal has collapsed and/or shrunk.
In case of insufficient depth, the total length of the vaginal canal is usually shorter than 3 inches. This length is considered non-functional because it is not suitable for intercourse with an average-sized penis.
This problem cannot be fixed with reconstructive surgery using a skin graft because the graft might not take on the scar area after the wound passes the inflammatory phase. Secondary colon vaginoplasty is therefore necessary to extend the vaginal depth and recreate a functional neovagina, as it can survive even after the wound has already passed the inflammatory stage.
- Insufficient skin was grafted during a previous vaginoplasty.
- Skin graft failure or poor wound healing which has caused the vaginal wall to collapse.
- The patients did not regularly follow the dilation schedule as instructed and thus failed to maintain adequate depth of the vagina.
Revised Sigmoid Colon Vaginoplasty Surgery
To reconstruct the vaginal canal, the surgeon will start by removing the scar or contracted skin, followed by adjustments to the vaginal width. Then, the colon graft will be connected inside the vaginal canal to create a functional neovagina of sufficient length.
Before the Surgery
- All anti androgen and hormone injections must be completely stopped 4 weeks before surgery.
- Oral tablets and other forms of treatment such as skin gels and patches should be stopped 2 weeks before surgery to prevent the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
- You should stop smoking 4-6 weeks prior to surgery and commit to not smoking for at least one month post-surgery.
- Aspirin (e.g. Advil), Ibuprofen or Vitamin E supplements should not be consumed for 2 weeks before surgery.
- A liquid-only diet must be consumed on the last day before surgery. You will also be required to take a laxative.
- Take a shower on the morning of the surgery, since you will not be able to do so for 5 days post-operation.
- Plan to stay in Thailand for at least 7-10 days after the operation.
Recovery
- Post-operative recovery at the hospital usually takes 6 days.
- After discharge, we recommend staying at a hotel near the hospital for at least 2 weeks before flying back to your home country.
- It is normal to experience some pain after surgery, but this can be controlled with medication and antibiotics. The pain will gradually subside after 2-3 days.
- You will require a urinal catheter which will stay in place for at least 5 days.
- You may experience some pain, swelling and irritation from the catheter, but this should gradually subside after 2-3 days.
- You should start walking around as soon as possible to stimulate bowel movement.
- A vaginal packing will be inserted at the end of the surgery and it will remain in place for 5 On the sixth day, the vaginal packing, tube drain, and catheter will be removed altogether.
- If you experience any difficulty urinating after being discharged from hospital, you should return to hospital or contact your surgeon as soon as possible.
- You’ll be given a diet plan to follow after surgery as well as instructions to prevent deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
- After discharge from hospital, you’ll be given home care instructions for cleaning and taking care of the wound which must be followed carefully.
- You’ll be shown how to perform vaginal dilation. You must strictly follow the dilation instructions given to you.
- Continue to take all medications prescribed by your surgeon.
- Vaginal intercourse should be avoided for at least 4 weeks.
- In general, hormone treatment can be resumed after 3-4 weeks or when the surgical wound is completely healed.