Woman Born Without Vagina Gets One Made out of Her Bowels: What is Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser Syndrome?
The nature of the disease causes significant psychological effects on the patients.
In a novel case, a woman had her vagina built out of her bowel. A 37-year-old, Tara Gratton has her vagina constructed using her bowel and is now waiting for a womb transplant. Tara has Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome (MRKH) which means she was born with no womb, cervix, Fallopian tubes. She had her vagina was only "partially formed." She couldn't have her baby because of the 'underdeveloped' vaginal canal and ovaries. However, after she had her vagina rebuilt using 'two inches of the bowel to create an opening,' she is on the waiting list for womb transplant, as per reports by Daily Mail.
The Stakeford resident, Tara Gratton, was diagnosed with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome (MRKS) at the young age of 14. Apart from her having almost no reproductive organs she also had just one kidney. Her genitals appeared normal from the outside, MRKS made it impossible for her to have a baby. She underwent surgery to have a vaginal tunnel rebuilt using her bowel via a surgery called ileum vaginoplasty, as reported by Daily Mail.
What is Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) Syndrome?
A rare disease, Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome affects women and caused when the uterus and the vagina fail to develop properly and completely in women who may have a normal ovarian function and external genitalia. While women suffering may have proper development of secondary sexual characteristics, such as breast development or pubic hair during puberty but don't get their menstrual cycles. Usually one of the first symptoms of MRKH syndrome is no sign of a menstrual cycle. The severity of the diseases range vastly, however, is broadly differentiated in two types. Type one usually affects only the reproductive system whereas type 2 causes abnormalities to occur with other organs in the body as well, usually the skeleton or kidneys.
The cause of MRKH has not been known yet, how researchers have a doubt that it could be because of some genetic origin. However, the nature of the disease causes significant psychological effects on the patients, therefore, counselling and psychological support are always recommended.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 20, 2019 04:13 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).