Lucknow Doctors Perform Rare Surgery on Woman Born With Two Uteruses And Vaginas, Restore Normal Function

Doctors in Lucknow have successfully treated a young woman born with two uteruses and two vaginas, a rare congenital anomaly known as uterus didelphys, that disrupted her life. Conducting a series of complex surgeries, doctors say the unnamed woman, the resident of Balia in Uttar Pradesh, now has proper bladder control and near-normal bowel function. Doctors said the woman was born with multiple congenital conditions, which included no control over urination and a dependence on diapers. As she grew older, the problem only aggravated as she faced severe difficulty with bowel movements, adding to her daily discomfort and social stress. While her family sought treatment at various hospitals over the years, she did not get any lasting solution or cure.

Eventually, she was brought to Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences in the state capital.

The woman had a rare congenital condition

According to the detailed medical investigations that were done, the woman had three major birth-related conditions, which included two fully formed uteruses and two vaginas. Apart from that, her urinary ducts opened at abnormal locations, which led to major urine leakage. Her anal opening was also positioned very close to the vaginal area and had not developed properly.

How was the surgery conducted?

According to the medical team, which was led by Dr Ram Dhayal, head of the urology department, a careful evaluation was done after which they decided on a three-stage surgical approach. In the first stage, surgeons tried to correct the anal passage so as to improve bowel movement. After that, two separate surgeries were done, focused on restoring urinary control by correcting the abnormal placement of the urinary ducts. However, a lot of consideration was given to each stage required, as the condition was really complex. According to Dr Dhayal, all three surgeries were successful, and since then, the woman has gained control over urination, and her bowel-related problems have almost settled. Doctors say the procedure was medically challenging and life-changing for the patient.

What is Uterus didelphys?

Uterus didelphys is a rare congenital condition where a woman is born with two uteruses. It is commonly known as a double uterus and causes pregnancy complications and painful menstruation. A uterus starts as two ducts in a developing fetus, which eventually join together to create the uterus. Your uterus is one hollow organ and looks like an upside-down pear. If you have uterus didelphys, the two ducts don’t join together. Instead, each duct creates its own uterus, which means you have two. Some people with a double uterus may also have two cervixes and two vaginal canals. Instead of having a pear-shaped uterus, if you have a uterus didelphys, your uterus resembles a banana. According to experts, uterus didelphys is rare and only affects about 0.3 per cent of the population. It is one of the least common uterine abnormalities.