A condition known as scleroderma caused a Czech woman’s vagina to become so narrow that doctors were not even able to complete a gynecological exam. In a first-of-its-kind procedure, the woman’s vagina was surgically widened using a mesh made from pig intestines. Although still in the recovery stages, doctors believe that the operation will allow the woman to enjoy something that’s been robbed of her for years: a full and active sex life.

Mesh augmented vaginal reconstruction is an operation typically used on women who experience vaginal relapse due to childbirth or a hysterectomy. The operation usually involves using synthetic mesh, but this time a team of doctors at the University Hospital in the town of Plzen, Czech Republic, chose to take a new approach to the fairly common procedure and use organic pig intestines to construct their vaginal mesh.

Pig intestines were chosen for their genetic similarity to human DNA, the Daily Mail reported. The team of doctors was inspired to use pig material after observing the success of past operations that re-grew human leg muscles using implants made of pig bladder tissue.

Scleroderma is an umbrella term for a group of conditions which involve the hardening and tightening of the skin and connective tissues. In most cases it only affects the skin, but in some individuals, such as the Czech patient, the condition can affect internal organs. The patient was given a variety of medications to help treat her condition, but none provided her with relief.

To repair the hardened vaginal tissue, the doctors cut inside of the patient and inserted the mesh made from the pig intestines into her vaginal wall. The material was about 1 millimeter thick, and over time the pig intestines will be absorbed into the woman’s body, replaced by new human tissue.

The entire surgery lasted about an hour, and the patient was allowed to return home after a five-day stay in the hospital.

“The patient is very happy now. The gynecological examinations are not painful anymore,” Dr. Vladimir Kalis, head doctor of the gynecological-obstetrical clinic at the hospital, told CEN, the Daily Mail reported.

The patient is still recovering and at the moment has been advised to not engage in sexual activity, but Kalis expects her to make a full recovery in about two years.

The surgical team believes they are the first to have conducted a mesh augmented vaginal reconstruction using pig intestines and are planning on publishing the results of their surgery in an effort to bring awareness to the condition.