Long-term results of vaginal construction with the use of Frank dilation and a peritoneal graft (Davydov procedure) in patients with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster syndrome

Objective To describe long-term outcomes after nonsurgical and surgical treatment of vaginal agenesis in a cohort of girls and women with Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster (MRK) syndrome. Design Retrospective cohort study using a standardized case record form. Setting University hospital. Patient(s) All girls and women with vaginal agenesis due to MRK syndrome, presenting during a 40-year period (1962–2012). Intervention(s) Frank dilation and surgical treatment (with the use of a peritoneal graft, i.e., the Davydov method) for vaginal agenesis. Main Outcome Measure(s) Functional vaginal depth and complications. Result(s) Two hundred fifty-four women with MRK visited the department. Urinary tract anomalies were found in 72 patients (31%), and other congenital anomalies in 59 (32%) of the patients with available data. One hundred sixty women were treated for vaginal agenesis. The mean follow-up time was 90 months (range 0–560 months). Sixty-eight patients had surgical treatment for vaginal agenesis with the use of a peritoneal graft (Davydov method) and reached a functional depth of the vagina of 7.8 cm (range 1–13 cm) Surgical therapy preceded by nonsurgical Frank dilation and/or attempted sexual intercourse did not result in more functional depth of the neovagina. The formation of granulation tissue (23%) and the tendency to obliterate (12%) were the major problems when using a peritoneal graft. Conclusion(s) Long-term results of both Frank dilation and Davydov neovagina procedure in experienced hands were good. The use of a peritoneal graft may be regarded as a good alternative to other widely used neovagina techniques using a graft, such as split-thickness skin graft or sigmoid neovagina.