Female Genital Mutilation Treatment/ Clitoris Reconstruction
Professor Wilson described Female Genital Mutilation Clitoroplasty to treat FGM. The international community and WHO recognize Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) as a human rights violation. Unfortunately, many countries worldwide throughout Africa, Asia and the Middle East practice FGM routinely. Regrettably, many immigrants to the Western world take that practice with them to their new homes. On a trip home, they may cut their daughters to preserve their chastity.
Statistics and demographics confirm that currently, there are over 200 million women and girls with FGM alive today. The WHO estimates that more than 3 million girls annually are at risk for FGM.
Why it’s Done
It is a WRONG practice but many societies consider it as a social norm, and a normal path for a girl to prepare her for adulthood. Some cultures consider female genital mutilation a religious ritual. Other cultures practice FGM to guarantee premarital virginity and fidelity.
Risks
There is a long list of risks associated with FGM procedure, and these include:
Short-term health risks of FGM
1-Severe pain.
2-Excessive bleeding: The ignorant midwife might cut the clitoral artery or other blood vessel during the procedure.
3-Psychological consequences: The ignorant operator might cause pain and shock. Those performing the procedure might use physical force, hence many women describe FGM as a traumatic event.
Long-term health risks from Types I, II and III can occur at any time during life.
1-Pain: Trapped or unprotected nerve endings due to tissue damage and scarring may lead to severe pain.
2-Menstrual problems: Faulty cutting leads to the obstruction of the vaginal opening. This may lead to painful menstruation (dysmenorrhea), irregular menses and difficulty in passing menstrual blood, particularly among women with Type III FGM.
3-Female sexual health: FGM removes, or damages highly sensitive genital tissue, especially the clitoris, and this affects sexual sensitivity and lead to sexual problems. These include decreased sexual desire and pleasure, pain during sex and difficulty during penetration. Frequently FGM victims suffer from decreased lubrication during intercourse and reduced frequency or absence of orgasm. Furthermore, scar formation, pain and traumatic memories associated with the procedure can also lead to such problems.
4-Psychological consequences: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety disorders and depression are more common in FGM victims.
Can Female Genital Mutilation Clitoroplasty Help?
Dr Wilson with his research team in Cairo University, Egypt developed a new surgery that might help the victims of female genital mutilation. Dr Wilson’s surgery liberates what was left of the clitoris, brings new tissues to compensate for the part that was lost, and puts a sensate cover over it: Female Genital Mutilation Treatment/ Clitoris Reconstruction
Effect of Female Genital Mutilation Clitoroplasty
Dr Wilson’s surgery resulted in benefit to more than 90 % of patients, who reported improvement of their sex lives. Moreover, more than half of patients experienced orgasms for the first time of their lives, and resolved their marital problems. But more important, all patients were happy they did the surgery, and all felt that “they took back something that was forcibly taken away from them”.
THE MOST DISTINGUSHED JOURNAL OF PLASTIC SURGERY IN THE USA HAS PUBLISHED THIS SURGICAL TECHNIQUE DEVISED BY DR WILSON:(Novel Clitoral Reconstruction and Coverage With Sensate Labial Flaps: Potential Remedy for Female Genital MutilationAesthetic Surgery Journal
DOI: 10.1093/asj/sjab218)
How is Female Genital Mutilation Clitoroplasty Done?
Under local or general anesthesia, Dr Wilson removes the scar tissue around the mutilated part, and liberates it as much as possible. Then he uses flaps from the Labia Minora to compensate for the lost parts and gives it a sensate cover to restore sensation.
Recovery Period
After the surgery, you go home the same and put a special cream on the genital area. You can resume your normal activities the next day, but refrain from sexual activity for 7-10 days.
Risks of Female Genital Mutilation Clitoroplasty
Actually none! The surgery restores something that was intentionally mutilated. A small number of patients did not have improvement of sexual function (only 10%), but were still happy because they felt “complete” and “normal again”.
