Dr Pierre Foldès

The clitoris is now known to be much larger than the external glans, a relatively small structure which is removed during many forms of female genital mutilation or FGM, and so the possibility is there for reconstruction.

Dr Foldès is the surgeon in St Germain en Laye who is one of the few who perform clitoral reconstruction after FGM. There are plenty of others who perform repairs, or reversals, but do not rebuild the clitoris. Even reversal though, is a great step forward for women who have undergone more extreme forms of FGM. One report follows up some women who have had reversals done and found them very happy with the outcome.

As mentioned in one of Papillon’s posts, Dr Foldès has trained some Burkinabe surgeons in the techniques. There is an interview of one of them published online in January by the journalist Ochieng' Ogodo. He himself has now trained 50 surgeons in Burkina Faso to do the operation and is happy to pass on his expertise to surgeons in other African countries.

Christine Aziz has interviewed two women who have been patients of Dr Foldès, one French, originally from Somalia, and one Sudanese living in London. Their accounts are similar but well worth reading. A French journalist has written a book, Victoire sur l'excision, about this "modest and profoundly humanitarian doctor".

It is evident from all these stories that his patients have nothing but praise for the doctor.

Contact details for Dr Foldès:
Clinique St. Germain
12, rue Barone Gerard
78100 Saint Germain En Laye.

• tél : 0033 1 39 10 26 26
• tél : 0033 1 61 30 22 15

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