Female genital cosmetic surgery: the good, the bad, and the ugly

Excerpt

In 1946, the World Health Organization (WHO) defined health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” Esthetic surgeons similarly recognize that self-perception of body image, beauty, and physique may strongly influence a woman’s mental and social well-being. Cosmetic surgery, therefore, is generally considered ethical and beneficial when the intervention is able to improve the quality of life (QoL) and well-being of the patient. In recent decade, however, a new esthetic concept has been introduced into urogynecological practice: correction and/or modifying the genital anatomy in the absence of a specific organic problem or disease with the objective of improving a woman’s self-perception. This scenario has resulted in a growing demand for cosmetic genital procedures and is based on the same premises as that of plastic surgery performed on other bodily structures, such as breast, face, and abdomen, without evidence of organic disease. This growing demand for cosmetic genital procedures is also due to the misleading information push by mediatic advertisements about the “unproven benefits” of gynecological esthetic surgeries. …