Evaluation of the surgical treatment of vulvar vestibulitis.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the efficacy of perineoplasty in the management of vulvar vestibulitis.

STUDY DESIGN

Forty-two women who had undergone operative perineoplasty for the treatment of vulvar vestibulitis completed a questionnaire, a mean of 4.8 years postoperatively.

RESULTS

Vulvodynia was constant or daily in 29 (69%) before surgery and in eight (19%) of respondents after surgery. In all, 27 (80%) of 34 women who had preoperative vulvar discomfort reported that the discomfort was much better or absent following surgery. Before surgery, 26 (70%) of 37 women who were not celibate for reasons other than vulvar vestibulitis, were celibate because of vulvar vestibulitis or always had pain during coitus and sometimes had to discontinue coitus because of pain. In contrast, only two (5.7%) of 35 women had this degree of dyspareunia following surgery. Similarly, 28 (85%) of 33 sexually active women who had dyspareunia before surgery reported that intercourse was much less painful or pain-free following surgery.

CONCLUSION

Perineoplasty has a role in the management of vulvar vestibulitis for women who do not achieve satisfactory relief of vulvodynia and/or dyspareunia with nonoperative treatments.