The surgical treatment of vulvar vestibulitis syndrome: A follow-up study

Abstract

This study evaluated the effectiveness of vestibulectomy in relieving coital pain and improving sexual function in women diagnosed with uulvar vestibulitis. Vulvar vestibulitis syndrome, achronic, nonspecific inflammation of the vulvar vestibule, probably represents the most frequentsubtype of premenopausal dyspareunia. Participants were 38 women who underwent vestibulectomy ata university hospital between 1986 and 1994. Telephone interviews were conducted to assess whether vestibulectomy or other subsequent treatments affected coital pain and sexual functioning. Length of postoperative followup ranged from 1.1 to 10 years, with a mean of 3.3 years. Vestibulectomy yielded a positive outcome for 63.W0 of the participants and moderate to no improvement forthe other 36.Uo. The surgery was linked to a significant increase in intercourse frequency for the entire sample and to an increase in oral and manual stimulation for the women with successfulsurgical outcomes. No other factors were significantly associated with treatment outcome.