What is Labiaplasty?
BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery), 10 years of experience
What is the meaning of Labiaplasty?
Labiaplasty is a type of plastic surgery procedure done in women to modify the shape and size of the labia minora, which are the inner lips of the vulva (outer part of the female genitals).
Labiaplasty involves the removal of the extra tissue from an enlarged labia minora (known as hypertrophy) to make them more symmetrical with the labia majora, the outer part of the female genitals.
Labiaplasty should not be performed on girls who are younger than 18 years of age. This is because the labia is still developing in them up until early adulthood.
Let us talk in detail about labiaplasty in today’s article.
- What is the purpose of Labiaplasty?
- What are the symptoms that indicate the need for a Labiaplasty?
- What is the diagnostic procedure for a Labiaplasty?
- What is the preparation for Labiaplasty?
- What is the procedure for Labiaplasty?
- How to care after Labiaplasty?
- What are the complications of Labiaplasty?
- What is the cost of Labiaplasty in India?
What is the purpose of Labiaplasty?
Labiaplasty is performed in a woman in the following conditions:
- Physical discomfort:
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- An enlarged labia minora that can cause irritation due to the skin rubbing together during movement can cause discomfort.
- Prolonged irritation can make the skin raw and cause infections and compromised hygiene.
- Difficulty in wearing a particular type of clothing:
- A large labia minora can make it difficult to wear particular types of clothing like swimming costumes, gym wear, or jeans.
- This condition can cause a visible bulge, preventing women from wearing certain types of clothes.
- Sexual problems:
- A protruding labia minora can have an impact on a woman’s sexual life and may interfere with sexual intercourse.
- It may cause pain during sex or the inability to reach orgasm.
- This may make a woman self-conscious and affect her intimacy with her partner.
- Difficulty in doing certain physical activities:
- An enlarged or protruding labia minora can lead to tenderness and pain, and prevent a woman from performing certain physical activities.
- Simple activities like riding a bike, running, and hiking may seem to be difficult owing to an enlarged labia minora.
- Psychological effect:
- Inability to wear certain clothes, perform certain physical activities and the appearance of the vulva may have an impact on the self-esteem and confidence of a woman.
- It can impact her emotional and social well-being.
- In such a case, a woman opts for an elective (chosen by the patient, rather than being medically necessary) labiaplasty procedure.
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What are the symptoms that indicate the need for a Labiaplasty?
Labiaplasty is performed if the following symptoms are seen in a woman:
- Congenital disorders
These are the abnormalities or defects that are present at birth and include:
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- Vaginal atresia: Absence of the vaginal passage
- Mullerian agenesis: Malformed fallopian tubes (tubes along which female eggs travel from the ovaries to the uterus) and uterus (womb)
- Intersex conditions: Both male and female characteristics are seen in an individual
- Other conditions
There are other symptoms that may indicate a need for labiaplasty surgery. These symptoms include:
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- Tearing of labia minora during childbirth
- Stretching or tearing of the labia minora due to an accident
- Change in the shape and size of the labia minora due to age
- In case of a male-to-female sex-change operation, that is, sexual reassignment vaginoplasty to create a new vagina (neovagina) a labiaplasty may be required to create a labia minora which was absent earlier
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What is the diagnostic procedure for a Labiaplasty?
- Physical examination: The surgeon will first do a physical examination and note any physical or psychological symptoms that may be present.
- Pelvic exam: The surgeon inserts one or two gloved fingers into the vagina to examine the labia minora.
- Blood tests: Blood tests help in determining the overall health status and detect the presence of any underlying infections.
- Pelvic ultrasound: Sound waves are used to obtain images of the female reproductive organs using a pelvic ultrasound. It can help in the detection of any abnormalities that may be present in the female reproductive organs.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan: A large magnet, radio waves, and a computer are used in this procedure to obtain clear images of the pelvis (region below the abdomen or stomach) to detect any disorders that may be present.
- Endoscopy: An endoscope is a special type of camera inserted into the vagina to see the internal reproductive organs.
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What is the preparation for Labiaplasty?
- The doctor will first ask the patient about her complete medical history.
- Inform your doctor about any medications, herbs, or supplements that you may be taking.
- The doctor may ask you to stop taking any blood-thinning medications like aspirin or warfarin that you may be taking a few days before the surgery, as these medicines may increase the bleeding during and after the surgery.
- The patient is instructed to not eat or drink anything after midnight the day before the surgery.
- The patient is asked to stop smoking at least two weeks before the procedure, as smoking may cause delayed healing.
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What is the procedure for Labiaplasty?
The procedure is usually performed under local anesthesia (the area of surgery is made numb). However, a few cases are done under general anesthesia (the patient is made to sleep during the procedure).
Labiaplasty procedure takes about one to two hours to complete and most patients go home on the same day.
Labiaplasty can be performed in the following ways:
- Edge resection technique:
- This technique involves trimming the excess tissue of the labia minora.
- The area is then sutured (stitched) using dissolvable stitches.
- Central wedge resection technique:
- This technique includes the removal of the thickest part of the labia minora to reduce its size.
- This procedure will give the vagina a natural appearance after the surgery.
- De-epithelialization technique:
- This procedure involves cutting the epithelium (the outer lining of the tissues and organs) using a scalpel.
- This will remove the extra tissue while reserving the labia minora’s erogenous and sensitive nature.
- This maintains the natural corrugation (wrinkled appearance) of the labia minora’s skin, making the labia minora look extremely natural.
- Laser Labiaplasty:
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- In this procedure, a laser is used for cutting the labia minora.
- This procedure is usually done under local anesthesia. However, in cases of some underlying medical condition or if the patient wishes, the procedure can also be done under general anesthesia.
- This is a quick and uncomplicated procedure with quick recovery.
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How to care after Labiaplasty?
- The patient usually goes home on the same day after the surgery.
- The patient is advised to take at least 3 to 7 days off from work after the surgery.
- The labia minora is sore and swollen immediately after the surgery, but these symptoms usually subside with time.
- The doctor prescribes antibiotic medications to decrease the risk of infection, and anti-inflammatory medications to reduce pain after the surgery.
- It is advisable to wear loose clothes post-surgery to avoid any friction or pain in the surgery area.
- It is advised to wash the surgical area gently using soap and water, pat it dry, and apply an antibiotic ointment on the suture area as prescribed by the doctor.
- Salt baths can be taken for relieving the soreness.
- A mini pad can be worn for the absorption of minor bleeding that may occur post-surgery.
- The patient is instructed to avoid using tampons during the first menstrual period after the surgery.
- Avoid strenuous activities and exercise post-surgery.
- Avoid sexual intercourse for about 4 to 6 weeks after the surgery.
- One can resume the normal activities one month after the surgery.
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What are the complications of Labiaplasty?
Labiaplasty is generally a safe procedure and has minor risks. The possible complications associated with labiaplasty are:
- Pain
- Itching
- Swelling
- Discomfort due to scarring
- Separation of the edges which are stitched together
- Fistula (unnatural passage) formation in the tissue
- Infection
- Inadequate removal of the tissue
- Sexual complications like loss of sensation
- Deep vein thrombosis (blood clot formation in the deep veins of the legs or arms)
- Hematoma (abnormal blood collection outside a blood vessel)
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What is the cost of Labiaplasty in India?
The total cost of labiaplasty in India can range from around INR 30,000 to INR 60,000. However, the cost of surgery may vary across different hospitals. There are many big hospitals and specialized doctors in India for labiaplasty. But the cost varies across different hospitals.
If you are coming from abroad, in addition to the expenses of labiaplasty surgery, there will be a cost of staying in a hotel, cost of living, and cost of local travel. Apart from this, after the surgery, the patient is kept in hospital for 1 day and in the hotel for 7 days for recovery. So, the total cost of labiaplasty in India comes to be around INR 50,000 to INR 90,000.
We hope that we could answer all your questions regarding Labiaplasty through this article.
If you want to get more information and treatment of Labiaplasty, you can contact a Gynecologist.
We only aim to give you information through the article. We do not recommend medication or treatment in any way. Only a doctor can give you the best advice and correct treatment plan.
