ABSTRACT
Advances in surgical management have improved both the cosmetic and functional outcomes of patients with urogenital sinus abnormalities and those with varying degrees of intersexuality, at least, when judged by treating surgeons. Descriptions in early textbooks of methods such as clitoridectomy or convenient ‘forgetting’ of the hypoplastic vagina are now considered archaic because of improved understanding of genital anatomy and function. Better exposure and innovative techniques have produced surgical improvements hardly thought possible half a century ago. While our understanding of these complex problems is better, it is not complete. Much remains to be learned about female genital function, the affects of surgery on genital innervation, and the significant psychological affects of these problems and their reconstruction on the patient.
