Imperforate hymen is not a disease but a physical condition of the hymen with which a female child is born. This is a rarity and might not be diagnosed until childhood or adolescent years. A very thin membrane shaped like half moon surrounds a girl’s vaginal opening; but if it’s the case of imperforate hymen then this membrane extends and covers up the area and blocks the vaginal opening.
This obstructs the way of menstruation, sexual intercourse and also the normal child birth canal. However, this is not something that destroys a woman’s life as treatment is an easy surgery and you will need hardly 4-5 days to recover. Then the lifestyle is as normal as ever! In many cases, this is detected while birth and the surgery done at infancy do not even leave any mark of abnormality in the child when she grows up. Here are the details that you should know about the surgery of imperforate hymen –
- The surgery is not at all complicated and is scientifically known as hymenoplasty, Hymenorrhaphy or hymen reconstruction surgery. The doctor makes an incision on the membrane or the hymen that is blocking the vaginal channel; the accumulated menstrual blood flows out and the necessary clinical procedure is done to heal the area.
- You will be given pain killers so that you do not experience any kind of pain. However, post this procedure sexual intercourse should be avoided for at least 3 weeks until it’s healed completely.
- However, daily activities can be resumed after 5 days from the surgery; the doctor might give you dilators to insert into the vaginal opening for first few weeks so that the opening does not get sealed on its own. You just need to put it inside for about 15 mins everyday and take it off. It looks like a tampon and is completely painless act. After the surgery, life goes on as normal and there are no side effects. This not only helps the hymen heal faster but also increases the size of the vaginal opening.
This procedure is carried out by most of the cosmetic surgeons however considering it to be a mainstream gynaecology; it is advisable to go for a gynaecologist consultation before the procedure is carried out. In many countries, this surgery is done as a proof of virginity just before marriage. Sometimes this surgery is also needed after any case of sexual assault where the hymen gets damaged completely. However, they might not necessarily be cases of imperforated hymen.
Many girls find this condition to be embarrassing and do not get the courage to discuss it with parents and doctors and fail miserably in marital relationships. This condition is nothing to be blamed on and can be corrected with just a minor surgery of an hour or so. Thus, do not crib in vain if you feel you are having such a physical condition but just go for the surgery and live a completely normal life thereafter.
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