What happens in Labiaplasty?


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The labiaplasty procedure usually lasts between one to two hours and it is generally an outpatient procedure. Many surgeons now opt for a local anesthetic and give anti anxiety medication in order to reduce the recovery time after the operation so that you can go home. The way the surgery is carried out will depend on the surgeon who is performing it but here is a basic over view of what to expect.

You will have had a consultation with the doctor and as long as they have deemed that you are suitable for the surgery, then a date is set. You will be given a set of pre surgery instructions to ensure that your body is healthy enough to undergo the operation.

On the day, you are taken to surgery and administered a type of anesthetic. If you are given just a local anesthetic, this will numb the area so you won't feel any pain but you will be awake throughout the procedure. You may be given anti anxiety medication to calm you so that you do not get stressed throughout the operation. The surgeon may have chosen for you to have a general anesthetic as well so that you will be unconscious throughout the procedure. You can discuss these options before hand with the surgeon who will reassure you and chose the best course of action.

The area is then marked for the surgeons to operate on and cleaned to minimize the risk of infection. The operation can then be carried out. There have been a number of techniques that have been invented to carry out this procedure and it depends on your surgeon as to which technique they are most familiar with. The original technique was amputation where the surgeon will cut off the excess tissue with a scalpel and then sew up the wound. This technique can leave scarring. Another technique is where they will perform a central wedge resection, which is where the surgeon will cut out a wedge of the connective tissue in the labia to make it smaller. Your surgeon may opt for the diepithelialisation method, which involves cutting away the epithelial layers either side of the labia instead of taking away a chunk of tissue. Your surgeon may also decide to use a laser to cut away the tissue rather than a scalpel but your surgeon will use whichever technique they think is best and they are the most skilled with.

After the procedure, you should be able to go home once the anesthetic has worn off. You will be given pain medication and will have to come back for regular checkups for the first couple of weeks. Dissolvable stitches are now regularly used so you will not have to have stitches taken out. The area will be painful for a couple of days and you must refrain from sex and using tampons for approximately six weeks to give the area chance to heal. You will be able to see the results of your labiaplasty after around two months, when the area has fully healed and the swelling has gone down.

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