Clitoral hypertrophy is a common manifestation of vulvar malformation, which is often caused by endocrine disorders, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, long-term androgen stimulation and other factors. Its clinical manifestation is that the clitoris volume is significantly larger than normal, which may be accompanied by problems such as irregular menstruation, infertility, and psychological disorders, seriously affecting the patient's physical and mental health and quality of life. In recent years, with the development of minimally invasive and cosmetic medicine, cryotherapy has been gradually introduced into the field of female vulvar plastic surgery, providing a new option for the treatment of clitoral hypertrophy. This article will discuss the application principles, mechanisms and clinical value of cryotherapy in clitoral hypertrophy.
1. Causes and classification of clitoral hypertrophy
Clitoral hypertrophy can be divided into two types: congenital and acquired. Congenital clitoral hypertrophy is mostly related to diseases such as chromosomal abnormalities and congenital adrenal hyperplasia, and often manifests as ambiguous gender characteristics of the external genitalia of newborns; while acquired clitoral hypertrophy is mostly seen in long-term exposure to androgens or androgen-like substances , such as the use of steroid hormones, adrenal or ovarian tumors, etc. In addition, some patients also have physiological hypertrophy , which occurs temporarily when hormone levels rise during puberty and recovers naturally after maturity.
Clitoral hypertrophy can lead to increased local irritation, sexual dysfunction, and even gender identity confusion due to morphological abnormalities, affecting psychological development. For moderate to severe clitoral hypertrophy, morphological reconstruction based on preserving sexual function becomes the basic goal of plastic surgery.
2. Basic principles of cryosurgery
Cryotherapy refers to a medical technology that uses extremely low temperatures to selectively destroy local tissues . The basic principle is to rapidly cool the target tissue using cooling media such as liquid nitrogen, liquid carbon dioxide or argon, usually to -40°C to -196°C, inducing the formation of ice crystals in cells, leading to cell membrane rupture, protein denaturation and microvascular occlusion, achieving tissue necrosis and subsequent absorption or fibrosis contraction .
The advantages of cryotherapy in the treatment of clitoral hypertrophy are:
Easy to operate and controllable damage ;
It can avoid the bleeding and scars in traditional excision surgery ;
Little impact on surrounding normal tissues and quick recovery after surgery ;
No suture is required during the operation and postoperative care is relatively simple .
III. The application mechanism of cryotherapy in clitoral hypertrophy
The mechanisms of cryotherapy for clitoral hypertrophy mainly include the following aspects:
Tissue volume shrinkage : After freezing destroys the local hypertrophic tissue of the clitoris, the necrotic tissue is gradually absorbed by the body and the local tissue volume gradually decreases. Unlike traditional excision methods, this process does not rely on mechanical cutting, which helps to preserve the neurovascular structure of the clitoris and reduce the risk of postoperative sexual dysfunction.
Vascular occlusion and fiber reconstruction : Low temperature acts on the microvessels in the clitoral area, causing local blood flow cessation and ischemic necrosis, followed by the formation of fibrous tissue, achieving a morphological "shaping" effect , thereby improving the hypertrophic state.
Temperature control and protection of nerve endings : Reasonable control of freezing depth and range can avoid irreversible damage to the main trunk nerves of the clitoris, while improving its morphology and retaining its sensitivity .
Low inflammatory response : Tissue necrosis caused by freezing is mainly aseptic coagulative necrosis , with a milder inflammatory response, and is less likely to cause scars or pigmentation than excision.
4. Technical process and precautions of cryotherapy
1. Surgical preparation stage : The patient needs to be evaluated for the degree of clitoral hypertrophy before surgery to determine whether there is hormonal abnormality or systemic cause; the surgical area is cleaned and disinfected, and local anesthesia or mild sedation anesthesia is routinely used.
2. Freezing implementation stage :
①. Choose the appropriate model of cryoprobe according to the morphology of the clitoris;
② Use double freezing-thawing cycle method : rapid freezing and slow thawing, repeated 2-3 times to ensure complete cell necrosis;
③. The freezing time is controlled at 30 to 90 seconds per time, and the overall treatment time is about 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Postoperative care :
①. Keep the area clean and dry;
② Avoid forceful scratching or sexual stimulation for 1 to 2 weeks;
③ Regular follow-up to observe tissue absorption and scar formation;
④. If the frozen area does not heal well, growth factor gel or wet dressing can be used to assist in repair.
5. Indications and contraindications of cryotherapy
Indications :
① Moderate to mild clitoral hypertrophy, need to preserve sexual function and morphology;
② Those who have psychological barriers to traditional surgery or have scar-prone constitutions;
③. Secondary correction after multiple failed plastic surgeries.
Contraindications :
①, Active reproductive tract infection;
②, coagulation disorder;
③ History of severe nerve damage;
④. Those with severe hypertrophy who require tissue resection.
VI. Clinical Effects and Prospects
Preliminary clinical studies have confirmed that cryotherapy for clitoral hypertrophy has a good effect on tissue reduction and aesthetic reconstruction . Most patients achieve satisfactory morphological improvement within 3 to 6 months after treatment, maintain good sexual sensitivity, and have high psychological satisfaction.
Despite this, cryotherapy still has problems such as large individual differences and lack of unified operating standards . It is necessary to further establish a standardized treatment process through multi-center clinical data. At the same time, combined with imaging technology such as high-frequency ultrasound or thermal imaging monitoring, the accuracy and safety of treatment can be improved.
Beauty Encyclopedia Tips:
Cryotherapy is a new technology for minimally invasive correction of clitoral hypertrophy, providing a non-excisional alternative for women who pursue natural beauty. Before choosing a treatment plan, patients should consult a professional plastic surgeon in detail to clarify the cause and assess the risks, and do not blindly follow the trend. At the same time, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and a balance of hormone levels are the key to preventing and controlling clitoral hypertrophy.