title: Surgical revirgination: Four vaginal mucosal flaps for reconstruction of a hymen.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Over centuries, virginity has been given social, religious and moral importance. It is widely believed as a state of a female who has never engaged in sexual intercourse, and her hymen is intact. Hymenoplasty for torn hymen is carried out not only for the sake of cultural and religious traditions but also for the social status and interpersonal relationships.
  
  
  METHODS
  2.5 cm long and 1 cm wide four vaginal mucosal flaps were raised from the anterior vaginal wall just behind labia minora. Two flaps were based proximally, and their two opposing flaps were based distally. These flaps were overlapped in a crisscross fashion and were sutured with 5/0 Polyglactin (Vicryl(®)) sutures leaving no area raw. The donor area was closed primarily. When some remains of a torn hymen were found, one to three vaginal mucosal flaps were added to its remains as per the need for reconstruction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We operated upon 11 patients. In nine cases, the hymen was reconstructed with four flaps. In remaining two, it was reconstructed from the remains using vaginal mucosal flaps. All flaps healed without any infection or disruption. Sutures got absorbed in 25-35 days. In all cases, this newly constructed barrier broke with only moderate pressure at the time of penetrative sex serving the purpose of the surgery completely.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Erasing evidence of the sexual history simply by 'Surgical Revirgination' is extremely important to women contemplating marriage in cultures where a high value is placed on virginity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic Surgery, Sushrut Plastic Surgery Research Center, Gujarat Cancer and Research Institute, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India.
authors.forename: Hemant A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Saraiya
keywords: Hymen; hymenoplasty; revirgination; vagina; vaginal mucosal flaps; virginity