Labiaplasty or nymphoplasty is an intimate surgery aimed at rejuvenating the female external genitalia. It can be performed, for example, a reduction of labia minora when they are excessively large (hypertrophied) or if they have an abnormal shape (hanging or asymmetrical) because they can even cause difficulties in sexual intercourse. Fat fillers can also be performed in the labia majora and pubis, in order to increase the turgidity of this area.
It must be taken into account that the loss of smoothness and volume in this area can cause feelings of shame or embarrassment in some women when going to the beach, and even problems to show herself naked in front of her partner. In addition, the opposite technique can be applied, that is to say, extracting the excess fat in cases of labia majora or pubis that present a lot of volume, to prevent the tight clothing of women from marking that area too much.
Candidates for genital labia operations are patients with aesthetic or morphological alterations who seek an improvement in their genital appearance. This is caused because genetically, due to the passage of time, some sport practice or multiple births, these women have suffered stretching in the external vaginal area.
Different techniques
There are different surgical techniques depending on the cases to be treated. When the labia minora are to be reduced, the technique consists of removing the excess skin and suturing the edges, but not all labia considered “large” are the same, which is why the most appropriate method must be used for each patient.
If the labia majora or the bulge of the pubis are to be reduced, excess fat is removed by liposuction technique, or because of the limited area, by mini-liposuction, a simpler version of liposuction that is performed with fine cannulas that aspirate the fat from the patient. And if it is necessary to increase the labia majora or the volume of the pubis (Mount of Venus), hyaluronic acid or the patient’s own fat tissue is infiltrated (lipostructure).
There are also interventions to reduce the excess skin around the clitoris, through circular incisions and small sutures in the so-called “clitoral hood”, thus leaving this delicate erogenous zone remodeled and more uncovered for sexual intercourse.
Preoperative
Once the decision to undergo surgery has been made, many women begin to feel nervous: there is no need to worry, it is normal to feel nervous. Stay calm and continue with your daily activities as normal, including your sex life. First and as in any surgical intervention, a blood test, a chest x-ray and an electrocardiogram must be done.
I recommend the patient to stop smoking, tobacco is very harmful and the tissues will need extra oxygen to regenerate as quickly as possible, your health will thank you and your healing will always be better.
A few days before the date set for the intervention, it will be verified that the data resulting from the tests are safe enough to continue with the process. If you are a healthy person, there will be no problem to perform the operation.
The day of the operation and the postoperative period
Before the day of the operation it is normal to feel a little more nervous than usual, but you should still try to get as much sleep as possible the night before. In the morning, the body should be cleaned with a neutral soap, avoiding moisturizing creams, and toenail and fingernail polish should be removed, if worn. Once at the hospital, the area to be operated on will be carefully cleaned and disinfected. Then you will meet the team of anesthesiologists, and here the preliminaries of the intervention will begin. The labiaplasty or nymphoplasty is performed under local anesthesia with sedation, on an outpatient basis.
The first postoperative days, the patient may notice some discomfort due to swelling that has been left in the area, it is normal, as well as small bruises. Regarding the stitches, there is no need to worry because the labiaplasty is performed with a suture in the vaginal mucosa with reabsorbable thread, so these stitches undo themselves. It is recommended to rest for 24 to 48 hours after surgery, but you do not need to stay in the hospital for more than a few hours.
Back to routine
A few days after the operation, the patient will feel stronger and stronger and will be able to return to her daily routine. At first the area may feel a little swollen, and you may feel numbness or pain with the friction of underwear or when sitting, although these discomforts will subside with the medication that will have been prescribed. However, as the hours pass, recovery will become increasingly evident and you will probably be able to resume your normal activities after approximately four or five days. In any case, tight-fitting underwear should be avoided.
It is also important to know that each person has a different healing rhythm, so there is no general rule for all women who have undergone labiaplasty. Recovery will depend on this rhythm. Until healing is complete, which will occur in four or five weeks, you should avoid actions that can damage the operated area, as of course sexual intercourse, or other activities such as cycling or horseback riding. In addition, the operated area should be kept clean by maintaining proper intimate hygiene, without products that alter the natural flora of your vagina.