Aesthetic Genital Plastic Surgery
What is aesthetic genital plastic surgery?
Aesthetic genital plastic surgery includes several different procedures to improve on appearance and reduce symptoms of discomfort, irritation and itching. These procedures help to restore the skin and soft tissue structures that may have changed due to the natural aging process. These surgeries include labiaplasty, clitoral hood reduction, labia majoraplasty, monsplasty, and vaginoplasty.
Who may be a good candidate for aesthetic genital plastic surgery?
- Patients who have discomfort from pulling and twisting of the labia with activity.
- Patients who are self-conscious or develop symptoms of itching and irritation of the labia.
- Patients desiring reduction of clitoral hood skin and folds.
- Patients desiring reduction of skin and fat of the mons.
Aesthetic genital plastic surgery is slowly becoming a more frequently performed procedure. Many women are too embarrassed to discuss their symptoms of discomfort and are unaware of the available treatment options. We have found that patients who undergo aesthetic genital plastic surgery procedures are often the most satisfied with their surgery.
The inner lips of your vagina, the labia minora, can be reduced and shaped symmetrically through a labiaplasty. The outer lips of your vagina, the labia majora, can likewise be reduced and reshaped through a labia majoraplasty.
Your plastic surgeon is able to tighten the walls of your vaginal canal and improve sexual function by performing a vaginoplasty.
If you have undergone massive weight loss or have simply developed an overhanging or enlarged mons pubis (the target area of a Brazilian wax), a monsplasty may be right for you.
A clitoral hood reduction decreases excess length and projection of the skin surrounding the clitoris.
Risks
- Risks from these procedures include infection, pain, bleeding, scarring, sensory changes and other rare complications.
Recovery
- Mild to moderate pain is expected, but this is well controlled with cold compresses, prescription and over the counter pain killers
- Swelling is most pronounced 2-3 days after your surgery. This resolves significantly 2-3 weeks after surgery.
- Itching is a common complaint during the first week, but this typically subsides by week 2.
- Avoid strenuous physical activity and sexual intercourse for 3-4 weeks.
- Most patients return to work (desk job) in 1-2 weeks after surgery.
- Typically, all of the sutures are dissolvable and are gone by week 4.
- Scarring from vaginoplasty, labiaplasty, majoraplasty, and clitoral hood reductions are barely noticeable.