Labiaplasty

Labiaplasty is a surgery designed to correct the size and shape of the labia minora, restoring the appro­priate dimen­sions and functionality.

While in the initial healing phase there might be some altered sensa­tions including numb­ness, in the majority of patients the sensa­tions will norm­alise over the passage of 6–8 months.

Yes child­birth, sexual activity and genetics can all contribute to enlarge­ment in the size of the inner skin fold at the opening of the vagina (the Labia Minora), this is called Labial Hypertrophy and while in most women this has no implic­a­tions other than being a cosmetic vari­ation, some women will have either func­tional or psycho­lo­gical prob­lems with this and request a timing of the labia minora this is called labiaplasty.

While this surgery can be done under local anaes­thesia, most women find It more comfort­able to have general anaes­thesia for it.

The surgery is normally performed as a day surgery. You will be given pain relief and anti­bi­otics to cover the recovery period. Icing the oper­ated area every 2–4 hours eases the discom­fort and swelling, you are encour­aged to rest for the first 24 hours. You will be given an anti­bi­otic cream to apply twice a day to the area. You can shower after the first 24 hours and the sutures self-dissolve over a weeks’ time. You are advised to wear a sanitary pad for the first week to keep the area dry. Avoid tight clothes, vigorous exer­cise, horse riding, bike riding and sexual activity for 4–8 weeks to allow appro­priate healing of the area as per your doctors advise.

There are gener­ally two subtypes of this oper­a­tion the Trim Labiaplasty in which the trim­ming of the excess skin happens along the length of the labia minora, the other type is Wedge Labiaplasty in which the excess length of the Labia is reduced by removal of a trian­gular wedge of the excess skin.

Unfortunately, in most instances Labiaplasty is considered a cosmetic correc­tion of the Labia Minora and is not offered on the NHS. You can however always consult with your GP and ask for a referral to a gynae­co­lo­gist who can then opine on the suit­ab­ility of the procedure.