title: [Congenital absence of the vagina in 126 patients].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the clinical features and therapeutic results of multiple approaches for congenital absence of the vagina, and to find out the prevention of complications and reconstruction method.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analysed retrospectively 126 patients with congenital absence of the vagina from 1979 to 2002.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Congenital absence of the vagina occurred in 31.25% urinary tract anomalies and 6.35% musculoskeletal anomalies. Of the 126 patients, 6 received 2 or more than 2 operations, the remaining recovered after reconstruction of the vagina by using the inferior abdominal wall skin flap and pudendal-thigh skin flap.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The techniques should be selected according to the conditions of the patient and features of multiple approaches. Damage to the rectum and urinary tract should be avoided in addition to postoperative retraction or prolapse of flaps and stenosis of the vaginal orifice.
authors.affiliation: Multiple Treatment Centre for Scar, Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, Beijing 100041, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Guangyu
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D014621:Vagina / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000601:surgery*