Unification and orificing of two functional noncommunicating uterine horns through the created neovagina using peritoneum.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate the surgical approach for Müllerian agenesis with bilateral uterine remnants containing functional endometrium. DESIGN: Stepwise demonstration of the technique with narrated video footage. SETTING: Reproductive surgery unit of a tertiary university hospital. PATIENT An 18-year-old adolescent was admitted to a tertiary university hospital with complaints of primary amenorrhea and cyclic pelvic pain. Physical examination and magnetic resonance imaging scans suggested a complex Müllerian abnormality. The patient had uterine remnants with bilateral functional endometrium and cervicovaginal agenesis. INTERVENTION An operation was planned to reconstruct her anatomy by providing a neovagina and anastomosing the uterine remnants. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogs were prescribed to suppress her menstruation until the procedure. The operation was performed in the third month after the initial diagnosis. A laparoscopy was conducted, revealing approximately 5 × 6-cm bilateral uterine horns with healthy adnexa. As the first step, a neovagina was created using a modified peritoneal pull-down technique, a standard approach in our clinic. A vaginal incision was made, and a blind vaginal dissection was performed to reach the peritoneum vaginally. Subsequently, an acrylic vaginal mold was inserted. The vaginal orifice was laparoscopically incised using ultrasonic energy with guidance from the inserted vaginal acrylic mold. The orifice was gradually dilated with larger molds. The entire pelvic peritoneum was dissected circularly, and the distal part of the dissected peritoneum was pulled down using four 2.0 Vicryl sutures at 0°, 90°, 180°, and 270° from the opened vaginal orifice. The uterine cavities of both remnants were incised, and two separate Foley catheters were placed in both cavities. A mold with a hole was used to insert the catheters through the vagina. Both catheters were secured in the cavities with Prolene sutures pulled up from the anterior abdominal wall. The next step involved uterine anastomosis. The uterine remnants were unified through continuous suturing, resulting in the formation of a normally shaped uterus. In the final step, the created uterus and neovagina were anastomosed. The patient received instructions on how to perform mold exercises and follow-up care. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Description of laparoscopic management of a rare Müllerian abnormality. RESULTS: The postoperative magnetic resonance imaging scan at 1 month revealed healed unified uterine cavities and vagina. The patient experienced spontaneous menstruation in the second month after surgery and now maintains regular menses with an approximately 9-10 cm functional vagina. Within 3 months after surgery, the visual analogue scale scores for chronic pelvic pain and dysmenorrhea decreased from 9 to 2-3. CONCLUSIONS: Müllerian abnormalities are exceptionally rare, and their spectrum is broad, making it challenging to identify an exact surgical method to restore functional anatomy. Therefore, a customized surgical approach should be designed for each patient on the basis of their unique condition.