Labiaplasty

The physical appearance of the female anatomy varies from woman to woman. Some women have smaller breasts, some women have larger breasts. It is not uncommon for those who are unsatisfied with their physique to seek a plastic surgeons’ opinion and ultimately surgery. In these instances, a breast augmentation, a breast reduction or breast lift. The same applies to women who are unsatisfied with the appearance of their labia.

The labia or “lips” is the tissue that is external to the vagina, and is comprised of the inner lips, or the labia minora, and the outer lips, or the labia majora. The labia minora can sometimes extend beyond the boundaries of the labia majora, and cause problems such as chafing in clothes, chafing with exercise or even walking, discomfort or pain with sexual activity. It also contributes to an undesirable appearance in clothing, such as the ever-popular yoga pant.

Not only does a labiaplasty address the physical appearance, it also promotes improved functional aspects as well. Women seek more confidence while wearing clothing and want relief from chafing, and to not have pain or discomfort with intercourse. Some women live with chronic urinary tract infections or have difficulty with maintaining hygiene, and these circumstances can be drastically improved with a labiaplasty. Dr.  Gregerson and his team are dedicated to promoting confidence, self-esteem, and quality of life for all patients who are distressed by this condition.

Dr. Gregerson is our Medical Physician who is trained to perform the Labiaplasty procedure. His expertise and approach to patient care is unmatched, and he is the only in this area to offer Labiaplasty.

A labiaplasty is a simple procedure which can be done in the office under local anesthesia, and it can shorten the length or change the shape of the labia minora. A labiaplasty procedure can also address the size of an enlarged labia majora, which can also cause distress for women due to the appearance in clothes, discomfort with exercise or sexual activity. This procedure is unlike other plastic surgery in that women can expect to see their results almost immediately. The labiaplasty recovery timeline is fairly quick. Women can return to work after 2-3 days. The ideal candidate for this procedure will have an understanding to follow simple after care guidelines, such as no tampon use or sexual intercourse for 6 weeks. Women may return to their normal exercise routine in 2-3 weeks. Follow up care includes a follow up clinic check at 2 weeks and 2 months. The labiaplasty stitches are absorbable, so there is no need to have them removed at a later date.
There are varying approaches for a labiaplasty, the most common being an edge trim or a wedge technique . Dr. Gregerson will customize the procedure to your anatomy and desired outcome. The edge trim technique is a technically easier procedure in which the edges of the labia are trimmed and sewn in a linear fashion. This produces a reduced pigmentation along the edge of the labia minora and has a similar recovery to that of the wedge technique. This technique is best for a woman who has minimal hypertrophy, or enlargement, of the labia minora.

The wedge technique improves an elongated or enlarged labia minora and can also address clitoral hood excess. The excess tissue is gently removed, and a very thin scar is placed in the groove between the labia minora and majora.
For patients who have an enlarged labia majora, a reduction labiaplasty can be performed as well. This removes the excess skin and tissue through an elliptical incision, and the scar is also hidden in the groove between the labia. Some patients may also benefit from adjunctive procedures to address a bulky labia majora, such as a monsplasty. A monsplasty can also be performed under local anesthesia .

Alternatively, some women may seek rejuvenation of their labia majora because of atrophy or deflation of the outer lips which may occur with age or weight loss. This can be achieved with a simple in office procedure using fat grafting. Excess fat can be simply removed from another area on the body, such as the abdomen, and strategically placed in the labia majora to produce a more youthful appearance. This can also help patients who experience discomfort with sexual activity or wearing certain clothing or bathing suits. Another non-invasive treatment offered at Advanced Specialty care is FemiTight For Labia Majora TighteningThe new and uniquely designed FemiTight is a CO2probe that was created for the treatment of labia majora tightening. Treatments conducted with this probe use a low fluence beam laser that gently heats the tissue, effectively restoring and reviving collagen growth.

According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, over 10,000 labiaplasties were performed in 2017. This number is on the rise, with a 217.3% increase in the last 5 years. Women aged 19-50 consist of about 84% of the women who have the procedure. This tells us that the problems of enlarged labia affect women of all ages, but it doesn't have to.

You are a good candidate for a labiaplasty if you are in good health and motivated to follow the recovery guidelines, which includes no exercise for 2-3 weeks, no tampon use or sexual intercourse for 6 weeks. Patients should also be out of puberty, as there are many changes going on in a woman's body at that time.

You may call our office at 208-468-9400 to speak with one of our experienced staff members about this procedure and your goals. We will set you up with a consult with Dr. Gregerson who has over a decade of Ob-Gyn experience and is also the in-house expert on femilift. We want you to feel confident and safe knowing you are in the most qualified hands for an issue that can be embarrassing to discuss. Dr. Gregerson who is trained in the art and science of labiaplasty and is able to answer your questions expertly and completely.