The public demand for aesthetic services is intense and, in recent years, some OB/GYN physicians have taken a more active role in providing cosmetic services.  Some of these include the removal of unwanted hair, administration of Botox injections, the treatment of facial and leg veins, collagen injections, dermabrasion, skin peels, mesotherapy, liposuction, fat transfer, abdominoplasty, breast augmentation, anti-aging medical and hormonal treatment, and the dispensing of cosmetic products.  While the terrain is not a traditional one, OB/GYN’s who provide cosmetic services have found that it offers a natural, logical and rewarding way to expand their practices.

Likewise, patients' demand for gynecologic surgical treatment of conditions interfering with joyful intercourse (such as stress urinary incontinence, pelvic floor defects, narrow or wide vaginas, painful scars, or correction of female circumcision sequelae) have increased.  Nowadays, it is not infrequent to have patients requesting hymenoplasty, perineoplasty, cosmetic improvement of labia minora appearance by labioplasty, aesthetic reconstruction of the vulva and mons pubis (including augmentation labioplasty), liposculpturing, and laser hair removal. Moreover, there is an overwhelming public demand for the performance of standard gynecologic surgical procedures that use minimally invasive techniques such as laparoscopy, vaginal, and minilaparotomy approaches that promise minimal morbidity, fast recovery, and appealing cosmetic results.

OB/GYN’s are uniquely positioned to provide cosmetogynecologic services to their patients because of their dual role as women’s primary care providers and fully trained surgeons. Unlike cosmetic dermatologists and traditional plastic surgeons, OB/GYN’s have an established relationship with many potential cosmetic surgical clients and their families and do not need to rely on referrals from other physicians, gimmicks, or aggressive advertising for access to interested patients.

The number of OB/GYN’s who perform cosmetogynecology is growing rapidly. The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) neither supports nor discourages the practice, noting that aesthetics is not within its purview and “as with other surgical procedures, credentialing for cosmetic procedures should be based on education, training, experience, and demonstrated competence.”

Drs. Marco Pelosi II and Marco Pelosi III are active OB/GYN practitioners with a special interest in minimally invasive pelvic surgery (laparoscopy, vaginal, and minilaparotomy approaches) and urogynecology. In 2000 they incorporated aesthetic services into their practice with a high interest in office liposuction performed under local anesthesia. After an exhaustive search for the safest and most effective operations, they sought out the developers and masters of these methods, viewed their work, operated with them, and incorporated and modified their best techniques. Having been instrumental in the development of numerous obstetric and gynecologic operations, they were comfortable and pleased with the addition of cosmetic procedures to their practice. They realized that there was an immediate need to create a society that could represent the interests and concerns of OB/GYN’s providing cosmetogynecologic services with members willing to participate in continuous cosmetogynecologic education to ensure high quality of care for patients and to develop strategic alliances with other national and international cosmetic surgery associations.

As a result, in January 2004 they founded the International Society of Cosmetogynecology to welcome OB/GYN’s who are actively performing these procedures. This society will sponsor educational programs and offer a forum in which the members can network, exchange ideas, and continually improve their surgical skills.