Labiaplasty Surgery

A labiaplasty is a specialized form of surgery that focuses on the labia. It can be done to improve the appearance of your genital area or to treat medical conditions. 

Labia surgery is very safe and effective but has potential risks and complications. Therefore, you should not undergo surgery unless fully informed about all aspects of what happens during and after the procedure. 

In that article, we will discuss everything related to labiaplasty, including its benefits. In addition, the surgery can be combined with other cosmetic procedures, such as vaginoplasty or clitoral hood reduction. 

These operations seek to reduce the size of the labia majora and the clitoral hood, which are often overly significant or elongated—risks and complications associated with it.

What is labiaplasty?

Labiaplasty is a surgical procedure designed to reduce the size of the labia minora. The surgery can be performed for aesthetic reasons or to correct functional problems such as irritation and pain during intercourse and exercise.

Labia surgery is also known as labial reduction or labium minus reduction. The labial reduction can be performed as an outpatient procedure under local or general anesthesia. 

However, performing the surgery in a hospital setting is common because it allows for postoperative pain management and monitoring.

What are the reasons for wanting a labial reduction?

Labial reduction is a cosmetic procedure, but not all women who have the surgery do it purely for cosmetic reasons. 

Some women may have psychological issues that lead them to seek the procedure, and others may be experiencing pain or discomfort due to their labia. 

The reasons why people seek out that type of plastic surgery varies from person to person but generally fall into one of these categories:

1. Medical reasons

Labiaplasty is a procedure performed to improve the appearance of the labia minora and reduce their size if they are:

• enlarged
• asymmetrical
• Uneven. 

The procedure can also be done to repair congenital disabilities such as a cleft in the tissue or if you have scar tissue from childbirth. The surgery may also be performed if excessive skin covers your clitoral hood (foreskin). 

If you experience chronic irritation and discomfort due to these issues, you may choose to undergo a labiaplasty to correct the problem.

2. Psychological issues or personal comfort

Many women seek labiaplasty because they want their genitals to look more “normal” or symmetrical. That may be because many women think that larger labia are abnormal and unattractive — although that is not true! 

In addition, some women feel more comfortable wearing tight-fitting clothing when their labia are tinier in size and less visible through clothing.

3. Cosmetic Reasons

Suppose you are unhappy with the appearance of your labia and feel that it is negatively affecting your self-esteem or making it difficult for you to be intimate with a partner. 

In that case, you may want to consider having a labiaplasty.

What are the Different Methods of labia surgery?

The three most common types of labiaplasty procedures include:

A. Wedge technique 

That procedure involves reducing the length and width of both sides of the labia minora. It’s done with an incision along the upper edge of each side of the labia, allowing for precise tissue trimming. 

Then, depending on your doctor’s preference, the incisions are closed with stitches or surgical glue.

B. Trim technique 

The trim technique is similar to the wedge technique except that it doesn’t involve making an incision along the upper edge of each side of your labia; instead, a small amount of skin is trimmed from each side using a scalpel or scissors.

C. Scraper technique

That procedure involves removing excess skin from your outer vaginal lips by scraping away with an instrument called a spatula while holding onto your inner vaginal lips as you would if giving yourself a pelvic exam at home called digital dissection.

What to expect before labia surgery

Before the operation, you will talk with the surgeon about the following:

• Your goals and why you want this procedure.
• About your medical history.
• Your current medical condition. 
• What kind of medicine do you use, if any?

While your surgeon will:

• Evaluate your health status.
• Examine the vaginal area to determine the condition.
• Ask for Lab tests
• Discuss the likely results of the surgery, risks, and complications.

At the end of the consultation, the surgeon will determine whether you are the right candidate for Labiaplasty surgery.

If so, they will give you pre-operative instructions like stopping or reducing smoking, avoiding taking aspirin or certain other medicines, and stopping top eating the night before your process.

You must understand all the procedure details by asking questions that help you feel comfortable before undergoing the treatment.

At HayatMed clinic, our surgeons are skilled in achieving the best results in the plastic surgery field. Click here and book your free consultation now.

What to expect during labiaplasty surgery

• The labiaplasty procedure takes about 45 minutes to an hour. 
• First, you should expect your surgeon to make two incisions—one at the top of each side of each inner labia. The surgeon will make incisions horizontally, but they mustn’t be too deep. 
• Next, the surgeon will trim off any excess tissue and skin so that the lips are even with one another and symmetrical in size and shape. 
• Once the surgeon removes the tissue, they’ll stitch up the incisions on either side of your labia using dissolvable sutures that dissolve over time.

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