What is Labiaplasty Surgery?

What is Labiaplasty Surgery?

Labiaplasty – plastic surgery of the labia majora and minora. The tasks of the surgeon performing labiaplasty are to correct the shape and (or) size of intimate organs and tighten the skin (skin folds around the vulva).

At the same time, the surgeon can perform plastic surgery of the clitoris and pubis. Labiaplasty with correction of the clitoral hood is especially in demand. That is, this is a more extensive intervention related to intimate plastic surgery. But directly behind the term “labiaplasty” is plastic surgery only on the labia. Translated from Latin, the word “labia” means “lips”.

Depending on the tasks outlined above, there are several types of plastic in this area:

• Reduction-Reducing the volume of the labia minora and labia majora.

• Enlargement- Increasing the size of the labia majora.

• Corrective-Elimination of asymmetry, scars, defects of the labia, and sometimes shape.

• Combined-Reduction or enlargement of the labia + their correction.

• Reconstructive- Restoration of the original shape and volume of the labia after traumatic injuries.

Labiaplasty combines both surgical interventions - intervetions with a scalpel, laser, radio wave knife, and techniques that are performed through injections.

Indications:

• Physical discomfort due to hereditary factors or sudden hormonal changes. Often in these cases, the labia minora become asymmetrical.

• Congenital anomalies of the female genital organs.

• Persistent infections. The fact is that the labia minora perform a protective function against microbes. If the vagina is overly open, it is not protected from germs.

• Past traumas (most often birth injuries). Injured labia minora can cause pain during sex, sports - especially when riding a bicycle, riding a horse, and even when wearing tight-fitting underwear.

• Low level of sexual satisfaction - both women and men. This often happens if the labia minora cover the clitoris and “hang” over it. In this case, it is difficult for a woman to feel a full clitoral orgasm. Or, it happens that the labia minora are hypertrophied and poorly stimulate the penis during vaginal sex.

• Complexity in front of a sexual partner. It sometimes occurs in situations where the labia majora are disproportionate to the labia minora. Such hypertrophy is not a pathology, does not interfere with the conception of a child, does not harm health and theoretically does not interfere with the enjoyment of intimacy. But in practice, a woman with such anatomical features may begin to not accept her body and find her labia aesthetically unattractive.

• Flabbiness of the labia after sudden weight loss or due to age-related changes.

• If we are talking about plastic surgery, a detailed examination and preoperative examination are important.

Preparation:

Preoperative examination is performed in order to exclude the presence of infectious diseases in the acute phase, somatic diseases in the stage of decompensation, sexually transmitted diseases, and inflammation of the female genital organs. They are not strict contraindications, but surgery is possible only after correction, removal from the acute phase into a state of remission.

Postponement of plastic surgery to a later date should also be scheduled for pregnant women, as well as those who have recently become mothers and are breastfeeding. Despite the fact that plastic surgery is often done precisely after birth injuries. But in case of severe bleeding disorders, hypertension, which cannot be corrected, intimate plastic surgery should not be done.

If you smoke, stop or, if that doesn't work, reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke 2 weeks before surgery. Nicotine reduces the level of oxygen in the blood, which, on the one hand, causes difficulty breathing, and, on the other hand, the healing process becomes slower. The last cigarette before surgery can be smoked no later than 2 hours before the operation.

When taking anticoagulant drugs, their dosage regimen is adjusted before surgery. It is important to discuss this point with your doctor. Most often, drug withdrawal is prescribed 2 days before surgery. But everything is quite individual and depends on the results of the coagulogram.

Surgical methods:

Injection techniques, contour plastic surgery (augmentation) - the introduction of fillers into the labia to correct their shape and increase their size.

The technique is effective for small size and volume of the labia (lipodystrophy, underdevelopment), decreased skin tone (atrophic changes, sagging) in the intimate area. This technique is often used for asymmetrical labia. In this case, the injections are unilateral.

Combined treatment methods:

Combination is possible according to two parameters:

1. Methods (for example, surgery + drug therapy, contouring of the labia and lifting).

2. Areas of plastic surgery (for example, enlargement of the labia majora and minora + enlargement of the G-spot).

When combined, both purely surgical techniques can be combined, as in the case of combining contouring and lifting, as well as different areas of medicine (for example, surgery + therapy).

In what cases can therapeutic treatment be added when using a surgical technique? So, if correction occurs against the background of hormonal changes, hormonal therapy is necessarily important. Otherwise, you can excise the tissue, and it will immediately begin to increase in volume. If you keep your hormonal levels under control, this will not happen.

Stages:

Classic labiaplasty with excision is performed in the gynecological position and consists of the following steps:

• Applying preoperative markings.

• Anesthesia (local or general - depending on the scope of work and indications).

• Disinfection of the surgical field.

• Excision of tissue.

• Stitching.

• Applying a sterile dressing.

• Prescription of drugs to prevent the development of the inflammatory process, and, if necessary, to relieve pain.

• Postoperative follow-up.

The technique may vary depending on the task. The most common schemes are:

1. Making a V-shaped incision: wedge resection. The technique is convenient for removing interfering flaps of skin (with sagging skin).

2. Direct excision (to the clitoris): linear resection. It is mainly used when it is necessary to simultaneously remove a large amount of skin and an overly pigmented edge.

3. Deepithelialization. An excision option that allows you to remove excess tissue of the labia, but at the same time maintain the natural folds.

Regardless of what is used to remove tissue - a scalpel, a laser, a radio wave knife, the steps are the same. But radioknife and laser are advantageous in that they help prevent inflammation and bleeding and reduce the period of postoperative observation.

The stages of contouring with fillers are as follows:

• antiseptic treatment,

• local anesthesia (anesthetic spray/gel),

• introduction of a corrective drug in the required volume.

Most often, plastic surgery is performed through injections of fillers based on hyaluronic acid.

Here are the main stages of lipofilling:

• Local anesthesia.

• Obtaining fat from problem areas.

• Cleansing of fat and its uniform distribution over the correction area (labia majora area, if necessary - pubic area).

• Applying strips to puncture sites.

After a single lipofilling with your own biomaterial, complete resorption of the injected fat is possible, and then the woman may need a second injection after some time.

Recovery:

For two weeks after classic labiaplasty, it is recommended to wear pads with anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial drugs.

Stitches should also be treated with antiseptic and anti-inflammatory agents.

After classic labiaplasty, doctors usually recommend abstaining from sexual activity for 6-7 weeks.

If the correction is injection, then recovery after punctures is quick, intimacy is possible for 3-5 days, but for 2-3 weeks it is important to avoid hot baths and visits to the steam room.

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