Robotic Peritoneal Flap Revision of Gender Affirming Vaginoplasty: a Novel Technique for Treating Neovaginal Stenosis

OBJECTIVES To present the technique and early outcomes of salvage neovaginal reconstruction using robotic dissection and peritoneal flap mobilization. METHODS Twenty-four patients underwent robotic peritoneal flap revision vaginoplasty from 2017 to 2020. A canal is dissected between the bladder and rectum towards the stenosed vaginal cavity, which is incised and widened. Peritoneal flaps from the posterior bladder and pararectal fossa are advanced and sutured to edges of the stenosed cavity. Proximal peritoneal flap edges are approximated to form the neovaginal apex. Patient demographics, comorbidities, surgical indications, and operative details are described. Outcome measures include postoperative neovaginal dimensions and complications. RESULTS Mean age at revision was 39 years (range 27-58). All patients had previously undergone PIV, with revision surgery occurring at a median 35.3 months (range 6-252) after primary vaginoplasty. Surgical indications included short or stenotic vagina or absent canal. Average procedure length was 5 hours. At mean follow up of 410 days (range 179-683), vaginal depth and width were 13.6 cm (range 10.9-14.5) and 3.6 cm (range 2.9-3.8), respectively. There were no immediate or intraoperative complications related to peritoneal flap harvest. No patient had rectal injury. One patient had post-operative canal bleeding requiring return to the operating room for hemostasis. CONCLUSIONS Robotic peritoneal flap vaginoplasty is a safe, novel approach to canal revision after primary PIV with minimal donor site morbidity. (C) 2021 Elsevier Inc.

Automated summary

This study presented the technique and early outcomes of salvage neovaginal reconstruction using robotic dissection and peritoneal flap mobilization. The results showed that robotic peritoneal flap vaginoplasty is a safe and effective approach for neovaginal reconstruction with minimal complications.