Published 16 September 2008, doi:10.1136/bmj.a1684
Cite this as: BMJ 2008;337:a1684

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Vulvovaginal surgery is being carried out without evidence of safety or benefits, gynaecologists say

¹ Abergavenny

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Aggressive marketing by private clinics in the United Kingdom and United States and media coverage have led to growing numbers of women asking for cosmetic genital procedures, a new report says.

But many such procedures are being carried out without adequate evidence of either safety or psychosocial benefits, say the authors (Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproductive Medicine, doi:10.1016/j.ogrm.2008.07.008).

"There are very significant gaps in our understanding of these types of procedures. Given the political and ethical controversy, the onus remains on the surgeons who perform such surgery to demonstrate both safety and efficacy," wrote the authors, Rufus Cartwright and Linda Cardozo, from King’s College Hospital, London.

They add, "In the absence of clear evidence, surgeons must tread cautiously, choosing to operate only as a last resort."

The authors say that no area of elective gynaecology is currently more controversial than cosmetic vulvovaginal surgery, which includes reduction labioplasty, . . . [Full text of this article]

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