August 2022 Procedure of the Month: Labiaplasty
Posted July 27, 2022
Many women suffer from pain, irritation, and even open abrasions along their vaginal wall. A Labiaplasty is a surgical procedure designed to remove the excess tissue and reduce the size of the labia. This has become a much more popular procedure over the past few years, with patients ranging in age from early 20s to post-menopausal, with the most common age being between 25-30 years old.
The three most common reasons a woman comes in to discuss a Labiaplasty procedure are:
- Certain types of clothing and styles of underwear can create pressure and friction to the labia. Pants or jeans with a high rise or mid seam can be uncomfortable, especially if worn for long periods of time. A thong or panty with a thin crotch can also be painful for some women as the soft tissue in the vaginal area becomes irritated and painful.
- Activity or exercise such as running, walking, or bike riding (this includes spinning bikes) can also create discomfort to the vaginal area if a patient has excess tissue to the labia. Many patients avoid these activities as the pressure becomes too painful to participate in the activity.
- Sexual intercourse can be painful for patients that have an enlarged labia as it can have redundant tissue that overlaps. This may be uncomfortable to the patient but can also create difficulty with penetration.
A Labiaplasty procedure is performed under sedation in an outpatient setting. Downtime is usually several days, with most patients able to resume activity within 1-2 weeks. The incisions typically heal without any detectable scarring.
