Reconstructive surgery for women affected by female genital mutilation

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a significant global public health issue, yet many countries lack access to reconstructive surgery for affected women. The present scoping review evaluated indications, referral routes, eligibility, care pathways and clinical outcomes of reconstructive surgery for FGM. The experts included any primary experimental and quasi-experimental study from EMBASE, MEDLINE, SCOPUS, Web of Science and publicly available trial registers addressing reconstructive surgery for FGM, and its impact on women, published before June 2023.

The results demonstrated the following:

·        After screening and extracting data from the results, the review included 40 relevant studies

·        The participation of multidisciplinary teams occurred in 40% of the studies and the provision of psychosexual counseling in 37.5%. 

·        The predominant surgical technique used for clitoral reconstruction was Foldes’ technique, applied in 95% of the cases.

·        A total of 7,274 women received some form of reconstructive surgery, with 94% reporting improvements post-surgery, and a low complication rate of 3%.

Thus, the study concluded while there is evidence suggesting enhanced sexual function and quality of life for women post-surgery, further research and clinical trials are warranted. Promoting surgical reconstruction for FGM survivors is essential to addressing potential cost-effectiveness issues and health disparities.

Source:Almadori A, Palmieri S, Coho C, Evans C, Elneil S, Albert J. Reconstructive surgery for women with female genital mutilation: A scoping review. BJOG. 2024 Nov;131(12):1604-1619. doi: 10.1111/1471-0528.17886. Epub 2024 Jun 24. PMID: 38923662.