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Congenital absence of a normal vagina (e.g., Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome [MRKHS]) is most commonly treated with progressive dilation, although surgery with grafts is sometimes appropriate. Now, investigators in the U.S. and Mexico report long-term outcomes in four Mexican women (age range at enrollment, 13–18 years) with MRKHS who received tissue-engineered autologous vaginal organs.
Using techniques similar to those for engineered autologous bladders and urethras, vulvar biopsies were obtained from each patient and cultured, expanded, and seeded onto individually shaped, biodegradable scaffolds; surgical implantation was performed after 7 days of incubation. Follow-up for a mean duration of 81 months showed that the margin betwe…