By Dr. Venkata Ramana, Cosmetic/Plastic Surgery
A labiaplasty is a surgical procedure that reduces the size of the ‘labia minora’ which are the flaps of skin located on both sides of the vaginal opening. It is a major procedure that carries many risks which must be thoroughly considered. It is absolutely necessary to go to an experienced surgeon when you decide to undergo this procedure as the right technique will make it safe and easy on you.
All women have these folds of skin in their genital areas but sometimes it may cause pain or discomfort. One might simply not like the look of them. These are the cases in which most women opt for this procedure.
What is the procedure like?
A labiaplasty surgery is normally a brief procedure that can be carried out using either a general anaesthetic or a local anaesthetic with sedation for the patient to go under.
The steps of the surgery involve the surgeon shortening or reshaping the vaginal lips. All the extra and redundant tissue is trimmed away with a scalpel or, in some cases, a laser. The loose edges may be patched up with fine stitches that eventually dissolve away. The entire process barely takes longer than about an hour or two for its completion.
What are the measures that need to be taken after the surgery?
It could take a while to fully recover from this surgery during which time you will have to adopt the following measures:
- Keep the area around the genitals clean to prevent any infection.
- If you get your period, make sure to use sanitary towels instead of tampons.
- You should only wear loose underwear and clothes to prevent rubbing and chafing.
- It is best to avoid sex for a few weeks after the procedure is done.
- Keep away from hot and humid environments as much as possible as the formation of sweat around the genitals can be detrimental to recovery.