I live in Adelaide, Australia. Through a series of co-incidences, I have found a surgeon who has performed 2 clitoral reconstructions in New Zealand. He is currently doing locum work here for another 3 months and I have spoken to him once for about 45 minutes.
My problem is that there is NEW research on what the clitoris looks like. See essential reading "The Truth About Women" (the entire clitoris is about the size of a fist) at http://www.newscientist.com/ns/980801/women.html
I have written to O'Connell asking for information on her anatomical research into the clitoris. She has not replied to me.
I need this information to convince the surgeon that there is more to this operation than he thinks. The two females operated on in New Zealand were in their 20's with the results being successful for one and the other result unknown by me, I will ask him next time.
There appears to be no published results and whilst it is likely this operation has been performed in Australia, nothing seems to have been reported. This may be the first operation of its type in Australia and I am finding it very difficult to undertake research by myself.
I have not read your msg board as I only came across it today and have to quickly try all avenues before I will proceed with this op. No guarantees but knowledge may be my best defence.
I am 46 y.o. female with CAH and had my clitoris removed at birth. I have searched for an answer to this problem for many years, mainly asking gynaecologists and cranio facial plastic surgeons. The answer seems to lie with a restorative plastic surgeon who I have chanced across. He will only remain in Adelaide for a further 3 months locum work and I will see a raft of specialists this coming week - Monday, 29th January to Friday 2nd February, 2001.
I am lucky that I have a very good, pleasant endocrinoligist who now lives here after links to 85+ CAH people in the UK and also a terrific psychiatrist to help me. I am grateful to have all these sympathetic experts in the one place (Adelaide), although O'Connell is in Melbourne, Australia.
The plastic surgeon intends to teach his colleague, a female plastic surgeon the procedure but I do not think he has enough information on the anatomy of the clitoris.
I would like the results published of this operation for all CAH and other women who have had their clitoris removed or mutilated. Can anybody help me set these surgeons on the right path regarding current anatomy? There is no point teaching out of date material, not even Gray's Anatomy is correct at present.
I am sorry I haven't had time to read all the threads on this msg board. Time is my enemy.
I would love to shout this from the roof tops of the city buildings. I have no-one to talk to as I do not know any other CAH women in Adelaide. However, new details on anatomy and published results of this operation with the CORRECT anatomical structure of the clitoris may help lots of people. By being able to fix this problem it might go some way to preventing the practice, particularly for religious reasons.
Thankyou


M