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FGM Reconstruction Surgery

Last updated 16th October 2026.

There are procedures usually referred to as clitoral or labial reconstruction or reconstruction surgery which attempt to ‘reinstate’ or ‘restore’ a woman’s genitalia to how it was before she suffered FGM. There are many clinics globally who offer these treatments often integrated with psychosexual therapy, largely across Europe (in Germany, France, Switzerland, Sweden, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy and Spain) and Africa (Burkina Faso, Kenya and Egypt) and parts of U.S.A., and there is emerging evidence that there may be benefits to women who receive this treatment.

(3) Through the NHS, women can access vulva reconstruction surgery for conditions such as lichen sclerosis or post cancer surgical reconstruction; men can access gender reassignment surgery to become women. Furthermore, designer vagina / cosmetic surgery is available in the private sector.

However, the NHS currently do NOT offer reconstruction surgery for FGM survivors. The NHS does offer a procedure called ‘de-infibulation’ for women who have had FGM Type 3 (or pharaonic circumcision). This surgery opens the scar tissue that covers the urine hole and vaginal opening. It can help with some of the physical symptoms of FGM, such as allowing a woman to pass urine normally, have sex more comfortably, have a vaginal delivery at birth and to have a cervical smear examination. This is sometimes called a “reversal” but actually, this does not put back what has been removed during FGM.

There is increasing evidence that some women from FGM-affected communities want access to reconstruction surgery and are travelling abroad to obtain surgery or are accessing reconstruction in the private sector, where care is unregulated and costly.

We believe that the UK should be contributing to research into this topic, as recommended by the World Health Organisation.

The ACERS-UK project

Advocating for Access to Clitoral reconstruction and Emotional support within a Research framework

ACERS_UK reconstruction project was founded in 2021 by FGM specialist midwife Juliet Albert and is co-lead by FGM survivor, Kaddy Muhammed.

A project is underway called ACERS_UK. The goal of this collaboration is to urge the government to fund research into FGM reconstruction surgery, in the hope that one day the UK will be able to establish a National Centre of Excellence offering this surgery if it is proved to provide some benefit.

The plan is for reconstruction surgery to be integrated within a holistic care package offering psychosexual and trauma therapy alongside other treatment options and support. The co-designed service will be delivered by a multidisciplinary team with Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) at its core. Surgery may then be the final option after careful psychosexual assessment, education and offer of treatment alternatives. This will be carried out as part of a clinical trial to ensure that robust safeguards are in place and that we contribute to the development of new evidence in this important area of healthcare research.

We began by scoping the evidence

Read the Scoping Review

Although not all women will want or benefit from reconstruction surgery, we believe that, if it is proven to provide some benefit, women should be able to make an informed decision to access this if they wish.  

As part of our campaign work, next we started a parliamentary petition. (This was closed in July 2024 because of the general election)

Who is involved?

The project team includes FGM survivors/women with lived experience, health advocates, specialist FGM midwives, urologists, urogynaecologists, gynaecologist, plastic surgeon, GP, FGM academics and specialist FGM counsellors, and representatives from charities who support women with FGM.

All members are either from an FGM affected community or have significant experiences caring for women with FGM and have worked in this area for many years.

All project members are giving their time freely to support this work.

We are grateful to The Urology Foundation for providing funding to support Phase 1 of this project.

Timeline of ACERS_UK work

Everyone involved is a keen and committed #EndFGM advocate and we believe that the ultimate goal remains the complete eradication of FGM globally. The provision of the best treatment possible for FGM survivors is part of the #EndFGM campaign.

Progress

As of November, 2025. we have some exciting news.
The government have said they are going to fund research into FGM reconstruction surgery!!!!!

Find out More

For more information, please email [email protected]

Project Steering Group Members

  • Juliet Albert  – Specialist FGM/C midwife, The Sunflower Clinics, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust (Co-Lead)
  • Kaddy Muhammed, Survivor (Co-lead)
  • Tina Rashid – Urologist and Gender reassignment/feminizing surgeon, Chelsea & Westminster Hospital Foundation NHS Trust 
  • Roland Morley Urologist and Gender reassignment/feminizing surgeon –  Imperial Healthcare NHS Trust and St George’s Hospital Foundation NHS Trust
  • Suhad Adam FGM/C Health Advocate – The Sunflower Clinic, ICHNT
  • Christie Coho Specialist FGM/C psychotherapist
  • Alison Byrne FGM/C Midwife – University Hospitals Birmingham and Sandwell & West Birmingham Hospital Trust
  • Vicky Bowler, GP – Bristol Rose clinic
  • Professor Catrin Evans, academic FGM/C expert,  University of Nottingham
  • N’Dey Gassama – founder of Holistic Support Ltd
  • Astrid Fairclough – Churchill Fellow/Policy Advisor
  • Dalia Saidan, Consultant Uro-gynaecologist, Croydon University Hospital 
  • Hekate Papadaki – Manor Gardens
  • Honorary member – Dr Jasmine Abdulcadir (HUG clinic, Switzerland)
  • Njomeza Kartallozi – Manor Gardens
  • Natasha Anderson-Foster – Psychosexual therapist
  • Amal Hassan – Sister Circle
  • Janet Fyle – Royal College of Midwives, FGM Policy Advisor
  • Lola Adeleke – Media Executive, Film maker, Advocate
  • Consultant Janet Barter, President of the Faculty for Sexual and Reproductive Health
  • Brenda Kelly – Oxford Rose clinic
  • Victoria Rose – plastic surgeon, Chelsea Gender 
  • Mama Sylla  – La Fraternite Guineenne

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