Labiaplasty

Labiaplasty is a surgical procedure that reshapes or reduces the labia minora and/or labia majora, the external folds of skin surrounding the vaginal opening. The procedure can address asymmetry or enlargement of the labia, which can cause discomfort or embarrassment for some women. Labiaplasty can be performed for cosmetic reasons or to alleviate physical symptoms such as irritation or pain during sexual activity or exercise. 

The specialist marks the skin to be removed before the procedure. Considering that we are talking about skin reduction for both labia majora and labia minora, the correction is a fairly simple intervention. It is carried out under local anesthetic. The surgeon will give you a number of numbing injections in and around the labia. The surgical area will be disinfected and protected with sterile cloths. The excess skin will then be removed from the labia minora. The incision is then sutured with soluble sutures. The procedure takes an average of 1 hour. You can barely see the cut after the surgery. You will be given a pair of netted underwear with a sanitary towel to absorb possible wound fluid and a wet dressing to cool the area down.

We recommend, to prevent swelling, that the treated area be cooled with an ice pack during the first 2 to 3 days. Do this for 15 minutes every hour. Sitting on a rolled-up towel for as much as possible in those days also makes sense. It serves as a pressure bandage. It is also important to keep the wound clean. It needs to be rinsed several times a day with, for example, the soft jet of the shower head. After dabbing the wound dry, apply some Vaseline or greasy cream. The pain is usually only slight, but in need you can take paracetamol. 

Our advice is to take a week’s rest and to refrain from exercising, cycling or sexual intercourse for the first 6 weeks. Nor is it advisable to do heavy physical labor or heavy lifting. The aim is to keep the pressure on the wound to a minimum. The wound is not bandaged after the labiaplasty. We do advise you to use sanitary towels for any potential blood loss. The scars will become less and less visible over time.

You will only see the result clearly once the swelling has subsided. Considering that most women are not 100% symmetrical to start with, a complete symmetry can not be guaranteed. But, as said before, the results are generally very satisfactory. Most women are extremely satisfied with the final result. The scars will have practically disappeared after six months to a year.

After every intervention, there is a small risk of complications such as wound infection or bleeding. Should you experience recurring pain, swelling, heated skin, fever, and/or redness, contact our clinic; better safe than sorry. Further potential complications are numbness, a tightness around the scar, and wound infections. It can, though rarely, be necessary to make minor corrections to get the best result. Smoking affects wound healing and heightens the chances of complications.