02 April 2023 , 13:48
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A 19-year-old woman who suffered from incontinence for more than three years finally found a solution to her problem when doctors removed a cork from her vagina.
The teen, from Belgrade in Serbia, sought medical help as she was unable to control her bladder.
She told medics she inserted the cork, from a bottle of hairspray, during a "state of impaired judgement" during sexual intercourse.
The unnamed woman confessed she did not come forward earlier "due to her sense of shame and fear of judgment", and added that she tried to remove the cork herself but to no avail.
Despite having a foreign object inside her vagina, the woman still experienced regular menstrual cycles "of normal intensity", according to a study published in the Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology.
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Researchers said doctors extracted the cork with standard gynecological instruments and after placing a urinary catheter, they confirmed the amputation of the woman's urethra and the presence of a vesico-vaginal fistula.
The patient was referred to adult urologists for further diagnosis and treatment.
The study's summary added: "Foreign body may cause a huge damage in vagina of adolescents.
"The situation is additionally complicated by the usually asymptomatic initial course."
A vesico-vaginal fistula is an abnormal connection between the bladder (which stores urine) and the vagina, explains a report by the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust.
Having a fistula means that urine will leak from the vagina - and since the vagina is not designed to hold urine, you will not be able to control it.
The main treatments include a catheter and surgery. The report explains that after undergoing an operation, patients are likely to be in hospital for a minimum of three days to be looked after by specialist nurses.
It is recommended to avoid exercise for two weeks following the operation and not to have sex until doctors confirm it is safe to do so.