Labiaplasty
There are multiple procedures that can be performed to the vulva, and each are unique to treat a certain subset of tissues. Reasons to address the female genital area may be both aesthetic and functional. For surgery of this nature, an in-person consultation in a relaxed and comfortable environment with an understanding doctor who will be performing your surgery is of utmost importance.
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Why consider a labiaplasty?
You may be someone who has repeated urinary tract infections and you may be aware that your large labia potentially could be contributing to the itchiness and or pain that you may be experiencing. You may be someone who has always had large labia minora and this has caused you concern, particularly chaffing, pain, or itchiness, during exercise, in certain clothing, or during times of intimacy. You may also feel that aesthetically the shape or size has been bothering you and you would like to know what is possible and what can be done about this.
What is a Labia Minora reduction/ Labiaplasty ?
The labia minor can be re-fashioned and or reduced in size and the pigmentation can be made less visible. The procedure broadly known to reduce the labia minor is often termed a ‘labiaplasty’. Technically there are different ways in which this procedure can be performed.
How is the surgery performed ?
Dr Wetton is well versed in labiaplasty techniques, because this is one of her special interests. She has seen many women who suffer with issues relating to their labia and often they are not aware that something can be done about the issues that they have been facing.
Dr Wetton often favours the Double Wedge De-epithlilization Technique(DWDT), also called many other synonyms. This is her preferred technique for labiaplasty, to reduce the size of the labia minora and also create a neater shape of the labia. In comparison to other known techniques, this procedure results in the least risk of damage to blood vessels, nerves or connective tissues. This technique also allows the sutures to be reasonably well hidden in the creases of the labia and the incision is transverse and not along the edges.
If your concern is mainly pigmentation along the edge of the labia minor, Dr Wetton may recommend the trim/edge excision technique. This technique essentially trims the edge of labia minor to decrease the size and also to take away some of the darker pigmentation that lies on the edge of the tissue. The disadvantage of this technique is that the stitches are on the edge of the labia running vertically down each labia, and so when the skin heals, there can be a ‘scalloped’ edge to the labia.
Other techniques utilised for labiaplasty are the full thickness trim or wedge technique – in which full thickness labia is removed, however the de-epithlialisation technique is preferred to the full thickness techniques, because the excess skin is peeled off leaving all the blood vessels, nerves and lymph vessels intact.
Dr Wetton uses dissolvable stitches in this area, so that you do not need to endure being uncomfortable for suture removal, your sutures will simply dissolve and drop out when your incision has healed.
Dr Wetton will go through the specifics of this procedure with you with an origami model to help you to picture exactly what will occur. She will explain the process and your expected outcome.
Recovery
After your labiaplasty you can expect to be quite swollen in the genital area. The day after your surgery, your whole vulva area may be painful and some patients walk with a wider gait. You may experience varying degrees of swelling in the following days and often a little spotting from the incision. For this reason, you may wish to wear a pad for a few days. You may like to stay at home and rest for a week, longer if you have an active job or a job that requires you to be on your feet for extended periods of time. Although sore, you may walk around and shower from day 1, but please ensure you do not get constipated as straining may damage your stitches. It is important to follow Dr Wetton’s post- operative instructions in order to have a smooth recovery.
After one week
The swelling will significantly decrease and you can start to go back to your everyday life, however you should still not participate in exercise, heavy lifting or intimacy for at least eight weeks after your surgery. The skin in this area is very thin and it is important to look after the area well, so that it can heal. Sutures will slowly dissolve over the first couple of weeks.
How long does it last ?
Your labiaplasty result should be permanent, but your labia may alter if you are pregnant, if you give birth naturally, if you go through menopause, or if you sustain other trauma to this area.
Complications ?
- Haematoma (Blood clot under the skin)
- Seroma ( fluid under the skin)
- Poor healing or wound breakdown
- Infection
- Too much skin or too little skin removed
- Scalloped edges in the trim technique
- Poor scar
How much will my labiaplasty cost ?
The cost for your labiaplasty surgery will vary according to what is required, it will range between $3,300- $6,600. For this reason it is recommended to book a consultation and receive a personalised quote.
Th fees above do not include the Hospital or the Anaesthetic Fee.
Labia Majora Reduction
What is aLabia Majora Reduction?
This procedure is usually done to reduce the overall size of the labia majora, being, the outer lips and hair bearing area. This procedure tightens the skin and involves cutting out a wedge of tissue. The scar is well hidden in a crease.
What is aMons Pubis Augmentation? / Fat grafting to the mons and fat grafting to the labia majora?
The mons is located at the lower part of the abdomen, overlaying the pubic symphysis. It is really the protrusion of tissue that you see when you look down. As we age, the fat in this area starts to atrophy and disappear and the skin becomes less pump and robust looking. This area can be treated with fat grafts quite successfully. The fat can be taken from anywhere on the body in a liposuction procedure and then injected into the mons area or labia major through a small incision of about one centimetre in length. Not only will this provide more padding to the area when there has been significant fat loss, it can also enrich the skin, by the help of growth factors and stem cells, that accompany the fat cells.
Recovery
The mons area will usually be tender, swollen and bruised with small barely discernible sutures over the incision points and also at the liposuction donor site. You can generally go about your daily routine in a few days. You will need to make sure that the area is not compressed for at least 6 to eight weeks, because it is important to let the fat settle and establish its new blood supply.
One week later
After a week, your stitches are removed and you will get back to your daily routine, but you will still need to avoid vigorous exercise for another 6-8 weeks. There will usually be some swelling, which may take a few months to settle.
How long does it last?
Much like fat grafting to any other part of the body, fat grafting to the mons or labia majora is unpredictable, in that we cannot guarantee how much of the fat will survive. The fat that does survive the grafting process should remain in the new anatomical location permanently, unless you have a large weight loss.
Complications
- Seroma(fluid collection under the skin)
- Haematoma (blood collection under the skin)
- Infection
- Poor wound healing
- Fat necrosis/fat death, resulting in loss of volume, or fluid filled cysts, or hard lumps
- Poor scarring
How much will a labia majora reduction or fat grafting to the mons cost?
The cost for your surgery will vary according to what is required, it will range between $3,300- $6,600. For this reason it is recommended to book a consultation and receive a personalised quote.
Th fees above do not include the Hospital or the Anaesthetic Fee.
Monsplasty/Pubic Lift
What is amonsplasty/pubic lift?
This procedure is often performed in conjunction with an abdominoplasty and results in a lifting of the entire mons area. A monsplasty can also reduce the amount of fatty tissue and sometimes skin in the mons pubis, which is the hair bearing part of the vulva.
Who is suitable for apublic lift/monsplasty?
This procedure is ideal for someone who has lost weight, been pregnant, has some excess skin in the area, or feels like the genitalia are sitting too low.
How is amonsplasty performed?
This procedure varies according to the patients anatomy and desires. At times it is preferable to perform an internal public lift when an abdominioplasty is being performed, and other times liposuction is also added to this lift, or perhaps a labia majora reduction is performed at the same time.
Recovery
In most instances a monsplasty will be accompanied by an abdominoplasty and so the recovery will be the same as an abdominoplasty.
One week later
You will probably still have swelling, but your incision will be beginning to heal and your pain will be minimal.
Complications
- Any complications that are noted to be possible with an abdominoplasty if you are having a public lift with an abdominoplasty, including
- Mons being lifted too high
- Mons remaining too low
- Dissatisfaction with the size or shape of the mons
- Recurrence
- Infection
- Fluid collection
- Fat embolism
- Bleeding
How much will a pubic lift cost?
If you are having an abdominoplasty, the fee for a mons lift will be included in that price. For a stand alone mons lift, the cost for your surgery will vary according to what is required, it will range between $3,300- 6,600. For this reason it is recommended to book a consultation and receive a personalised quote.
The fees above do not include the Hospital or the Anaesthetic Fee.
