Women are taking control of their bodies in every way. This includes the region south of your pubic bone. Many women suffer from excess labial tissue. Not only can it be painful, but many find it unsightly and embarrassing, particularly with the popularity of the clean shaven look. When you’re bare, you are aware. A labiaplasty is a surgical procedure to reduce the length of the labia minora. The surgery is similar to an episiotomy after childbirth. The result is labia that are in proportion, and which no longer interfere with activities such as running, biking or wearing your favorite yoga pants.

Are You a Candidate for Vaginal Rejuvenation?

There are any number of reasons why a woman might seek a labiaplasty such as:

• labia minora or outer lips that hang too low, chafing against your clothing
• permanent “camel toe” in skinny jeans or pants
• feeling ashamed and sexually unattractive when naked

During your labiaplasty consultation, Dr. Van Natta will listen carefully to what bothers you about your vagina. Caring, sensitive and direct, he will talk through your issues, and discuss the options available to help you feel better. He will then perform a thorough physical exam to determine the underlying cause of your specific issues. And then, together, you will come up with a treatment plan that best suits your individual anatomy, needs and personality.

Labiaplasty

Some women are simply born with labia minora or inner labia that extend beyond the outer edge of the vagina. For others, this condition occurs after childbirth. Babies are amazing, but they can often wreak havoc on your lady parts. A labiaplasty is a surgical procedure to reduce the size and/or alter the shape of your labia. It sounds scarier than it is. The labial tissue is nothing more than skin. It is analogous to the scrotum in males. So, a labiaplasty typically involves excising an ellipse of the redundant skin and suturing it closed with absorbable sutures. It’s similar to the episiotomy you might have gotten after childbirth. Dr. Van Natta often finds that in addition to having excess inner labial tissue, many women have deflated outer labia. These under-filled labia majora may contribute to the exposure of the inner labia minora, making them more obvious. This issue is typically corrected with fat grafting.

Dr. Van Natta will often combine a labiaplasty with another body contouring procedure such as liposuction or an abdominoplasty. The advantage of this is that you will only have one recovery period. However, a labiaplasty can easily be performed as a stand-alone procedure. All of this will be discussed with you in detail during your initial consultation.

Labiaplasty Recovery

Although you might be surprised to hear this, the recovery after a labiaplasty is actually quite minimal. The surgery takes about an hour and is performed as an outpatient procedure under general anesthesia so you will go home the same day. There will be some bruising, swelling and mild discomfort for the first 2 weeks, but patients find it to be not a big deal. Any postoperative pain can easily be managed with an over-the-counter pain medication such as Advil or Tylenol.

To find out more about a labiaplasty with Dr. Bruce Van Natta at Meridian Plastic Surgeons in Indianapolis, contact us today or call (317) 575-0330 to schedule a consultation.