04 June 2010
By Niriksha Shetty & Payal Gwalani
Mumbai, India
A thirteen–yearold girl suffering from a medical condition wherein the presence of a wall of tissues resulted in the blockage of her vagina, leading to accumulation of menstrual fluid and other secretions, was successfully operated on at Sion hospital recently.
Referred to as a transverse vaginal septum, this congenital anomaly had brought upon many a hardship on the girl and her family. Coming from a lower–income and conservative family, undergoing treatment proved to be an uphill task for the young girl. She had to visit numerous hospitals before she was rid of this painful condition.
Earlier, the girl’s disorder had been wrongly diagnosed as a case of imperforate hymen, which is a common occurrence. This led to inappropriate surgery which had to be abandoned.
After several attempts at finding a cure, she was finally referred to Sion hospital by a student at the hospital. Dr Y S Nandanwar, professor and head of obstetrics and gynaecology department, was able to identify her problem and treated her accordingly.
“In my entire career, I have seen only three such cases. The girl’s family would have been unable to afford this surgery. In addition to this, post–operative care involves a lengthy follow–up period,” said Nandanwar.
Post surgery, in order to prevent recurrence, a lubricated mould was inserted in the girl’s vagina daily. The first six weeks after the surgery are crucial, say doctors. However, the follow–up procedure can stretch up to a period of six months.
Doctors claim that the girl will be able to lead a normal married life and will not face any problems if she wishes to conceive.
Rare Condition
Longitudinal or complete vaginal septum: Also known as double vagina. In this anomaly, there is a vertical wall running up the vagina. Women with a complete vaginal septum also have two uteri and two cervices
Transverse vaginal septum: In this anomaly, there is a horizontal wall of tissue blocking the vagina, preventing the outflow of menstrual fluid. This can be surgically corrected
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