The labiaplasty procedure widens eyes to the unfamiliar and somewhat taboo world of genitalia correction. Shocking or not, the procedure offers something extraordinary to those suffering from issues with their own genitalia: hope. For those adult and young women currently struggling in daily life to overcome the difficulties of an abnormally large labia minora, the labiaplasty procedure provides an incredible success rate when performed in the right hands.
Dr. Laurie Casas, a board certified plastic surgeon in Chicago helps numerous women and teenage girls through the procedure, focusing on helping those who are struggling with a functional problem. While many outsiders may look into the world of labiaplasty and wonder why woman want to “look prettier down there”, they’re missing the bigger picture: teenage girls and some women are physically and emotionally enduring stress and discomfort due to the size of their labia minora. Labiaplasty can mean an end to suffering with little to no complications and a quick recovery.
By Laurie A. Casas, MD
and Adam McMillon
The Plastic Surgery Channel
Who is a candidate for labiaplasty?
“There’s two types of patients,” says Dr. Casas. “Pre-pregnancy, 17, 18, 19 year old girls, who come in with their mom, and the post-pregnancy women.”
The younger patients never had a chance; puberty and genetics combined to create an abnormally sized labia minora. Taking care of it early will help with the discomfort and and give a boost to their self-confidence before these ailments take their toll over many years. The older, post-pregnancy patients simply had a physical change over the course of the pregnancy that they need corrected back to where they used to be.
Regardless of the why, Dr. Casas requires that the problem be functional and not just cosmetic. “100% of my patients have a functional problem,” says Casas. “There’s irritation, pain, discomfort, and inability to wear normal clothes because there’s a bulge. Otherwise I don’t feel like they’re a good candidate.”
An easy, in-office procedure
One of the great aspects of a labiaplasty is the fact that your surgeon can perform the procedure in their office under local anesthesia. “I do the procedure in my office under local anesthesia,” says Casas. “Music therapy is key, in a warm, comfortable environment with my female staff. The patient comes in and is sedated while listening to music. The procedure takes about an hour to an hour and a half.”
In addition to a relaxed, low-key procedure, recovery, when taken seriously by the patient, is easy and worry-free. “The key for the patient is that they’re on board with the post-operative phase,” says Casas. “In my practice, it involves 3 days of icing the area around the clock and then 11 days of not performing vigorous activity. Beyond that, it’s 6 weeks of not riding a horse, a bike, or engaging in sexual intercourse. If patients do all these things, it’s basically a 0% complication rate for my patients.”
One of the hardest things for the younger patients is finding the answers to their personal questions. “Why does my vagina look like this? Is this supposed to be so uncomfortable all the time?” Questions like these can be hard to ask your mother, and even your doctor. Modern times has an answer with the web, giving teenage girls a chance to ask tough questions anonymously.
“The web and the ability to educate yourself on good sites has changed this kind of procedure drastically,” says Casas. “It’s a little uncomfortable and embarrassing to talk to your parents about it, so it’s great to be able to research it on the web, understand the procedure, the risks, and the complications.”
Through good information and a board certified surgeon looking to improve someone’s life – not just someone’s look – labiaplasty can be an incredible life-changing procedure. What better way to enter adulthood/motherhood than with a restoration of self-confidence.