Hymenoplasty, also called hymen restoration or hymen repair surgery, is a plastic surgery procedure that reconstructs the hymen. It is popularly known as revirgination. Women choose it for cultural, social, religious or personal reasons, and it is usually performed as a daycare procedure.
Hymenoplasty or hymen repair surgery takes somewhere around 30 minutes to an hour, performed while the patient is under local anesthesia with sedation or under general anesthesia. It is usually performed on a Daycare basis, the patient can leave the hospital the same evening.
Causes
Preserving virginity till marriage is considered a necessity in certain countries and cultures. In conservative backgrounds and countries, virginity is a prerequisite for marriage. Some consider virginity a gift to be given to their partner after marriage.
Hymen rupture can occur due to various strenuous physical activities such as cycling, swimming, horse riding and gymnasium. Hence women may need to undergo hymenoplasty for cultural, religious and ethical reasons. Some women come to us after sexual assault. Patients in this situation often describe the surgery as a way of taking back a decision that was taken from them, and some find that it helps them move on. It is a personal choice rather than a medical necessity, and it is worth talking through with a counsellor as well as with a surgeon.
Some women ask about hymenoplasty hoping it will change vaginal tightness. It will not - hymenoplasty reconstructs the hymen only. Tightening the vaginal canal is a different operation, vaginal tightening, and your surgeon will advise which procedure, if either, fits what you are describing.