Why Do Some Women Choose Labiaplasty?

March 29, 2019

Labiaplasty or labial reduction surgery is an often overlooked and under-discussed surgery, and yet is a procedure that can really improve a woman’s quality of life. The labia are a very intimate part of the body and some women find it difficult to broach the topic even with a trusted doctor.

What is labiaplasty?

Labiaplasty is a procedure that aims to reduce the inner labia otherwise known as the labia minora so that they are hidden within the outer labia or the labia majora. For some women the inner labia are enlarged, are uneven, or protrude beyond the outer labia causing both physical and emotional discomfort and distress.

What many women don’t know is that although labiaplasty is a surgical procedure it’s actually a very simple and safe surgery that takes very little time (on average only 30 minutes) and there is very little pain associated with recovery.

You can expect light swelling and bruising following surgery, but this subsides within a few days of the procedure. In fact, many of our patients have told us that their recovery was seamless and that the entire procedure was not as onerous as they expected it to be.

So what happens during labiaplasty surgery?

If you’re a patient that needs only a small amount of labia tissue removed, a local anesthetic or freezing is administered to the area, the unwanted tissue is removed and the labia are corrected as needed.

The area is then stitched up with the use of small stitches that dissolve on their own. Some women have more tissue to remove or just prefer to be put under general anesthetic for the procedure and this is also accommodated.

Here’s why some of our patients have chosen to undergo labiaplasty:

The choice to undergo labial reduction surgery is very personal, and women choose the procedure for very different but valid reasons. For some women, enlarged vaginal lips, or uneven or protruding labia can cause physical discomfort, such as pain during sexual intercourse, discomfort during exercise, pain just sitting down or riding, or difficulty trying to use a tampon.

For some women however, the appearance of their labia can make them feel either attractive or unattractive and many women choose to undergo the surgery for aesthetic reasons. For many of our patients the appearance of their labia just didn’t allow them to feel confident in their own bodies, they never really felt like themselves before the surgery. Labiaplasty really changed the way they looked and felt about themselves.

If you’ve been thinking that this might be the surgery for you we wanted to let you know that you’re not alone in your choice. At the Plastic Surgery Clinic we perform 150-200 labial reduction surgeries per year, making Dr. Lista and his team one of the most specialized surgeons and surgical clinics in the field.

If you want more information about labiaplasty or want to find out if you’d be a could candidate for the procedure you can rest assured that our doctors will lend their ear and expert advice and will treat you with the utmost respect and dignity.