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The Doctors discuss the case of a 23-year-old woman who was born without a vagina. She became the first in the world to undergo reconstructive surgery to have a new vagina built with the help of the skin of the tilapia fish!
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In this pioneering procedure, the doctors created an opening where the vagina should be and inserted a genital-shaped mold lined with the tilapia skin. The skin was used as scaffolding and eventually was absorbed.
"As a reconstructive surgeon, this is so cool!" exclaims plastic surgeon Dr. Andrew Ordon. He explains having to rely on your own skin sometimes had complications, for example, deformity scars at the site where the skin was removed, so a new treatment like this is great! Tilapia was found to be the perfect scaffolding and matrix. They treat it so it becomes hypoallergenic and the new skin grows around it, which is what gave her the new vagina.
Watch: How Woman's Nose Was Reconstructed after Skin Cancer
The young woman is doing well and even went out with her family and friends to celebrate her new vagina!
