A labiaplasty is a surgical procedure usually done to reduce the size the labia minora — skin folds that surround a woman’s urethra and vagina. Labiaplasty can be done for cosmetic reasons, to reduce physical discomfort, or as part of gender-affirming surgery.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

There are multiple reasons to undergo a Labiaplasty procedure. Women may choose to have a labiaplasty if:

  • The Labia (vaginal lips) are elongated.
  • The Labia becomes obvious when wearing tight fitting clothes.
  • A woman has excess tissue in their vaginal lips that causes physical discomfort or affects her quality of life (e.g. long labia sticks to your leg during physical activity, or protruding labia cause pain when riding a bicycle). Or, if a woman suffers from low self esteem due to the appearance of her genitals or its associated discomforts.

During your consultation Dr. Ojo-Carons will assess the condition of your genitals, your health history, and your desired results to create a treatment plan specific to your needs. Remember, smoking, uncontrolled diabetes, and poor health habits increase the risks of complications in women undergoing labiaplasty.

The surgery will require general anesthesia so you won’t feel anything during the procedure.

Any discomfort or pain that you may experience after labiaplasty can be easily controlled with medications. Some of them will usually resolve after a few days of rest.

Although the procedure repairs the sensitive and delicate part of your body, the pain that you will feel once the anesthesia wears off is tolerable and can be minimized with medications.

You will need to wait at least 6 weeks to recover from the surgery. During this time, you can gradually resume your activities of daily living. Full recovery of the labia can take up to 6-12 months.

It is important to keep in mind that the downtime following labiaplasty may vary from patient to patient.