Labiaplasty

At Boerhaave, your consultation always takes place with the plastic surgeon who will be treating you. During this consultation, you can explain what bothers you most about your labia and what you would like to change. Together, you will explore the treatment options and discuss what the potential outcome might be. Based on this discussion, the most appropriate surgical technique—as well as the total cost—will be discussed with you right away. This ensures that you are as well-informed as possible about the treatment and what to expect.

Following your consultation, you’ll have another meeting with your consultant. You’ll then be informed about the general procedures that need to be arranged.

Curious about what else to expect? Read more here about your first consultation or what a treatment day looks like.

On the day of your procedure, you are expected to arrive at the clinic half an hour in advance.

A labiaplasty can be performed under local anesthesia or general anesthesia. You may indicate your preference prior to the surgery. In either case, you’ll be able to go home the same day, as this is an outpatient procedure. Most women prefer local anesthesia over general anesthesia.

What does the surgery itself involve? Using a small scalpel, the excess skin is carefully removed. In most cases, about three centimeters of skin is removed. The incision is then closed by cauterizing the blood vessels and suturing the wound with dissolvable stitches.

Labiaplasty takes about one hour on average.

Although you may go home the same day in both cases, there is a difference in how long you’ll need to stay at the clinic. With local anesthesia, you may go home after half an hour; with general anesthesia, you’ll stay at the clinic for about three to four hours. You may not go home until the nurse and the anesthesiologist deem it safe to do so.

As soon as you get home, you may start eating easily digestible foods such as water, tea, and crackers. Try to avoid nausea and vomiting. This reduces the risk of post-operative bleeding and/or swelling of the wound.

As for any post-operative pain, most people experience little pain after labiaplasty. However, your labia may be sore and swollen for the first few days. A cold compress can relieve much of any pain you may experience. It also helps reduce swelling.

Recovery

Because the labia have a rich blood supply, your wound will heal quickly. On average, healing takes two weeks. Until then, the treated area may still feel uncomfortable, tight, and taut. For the first few days, you’ll notice that your labia are bruised, tender, and swollen. This will gradually subside on its own, and in most cases, it will be completely gone after a few weeks. Your scars will also be red and raised at first. This is all perfectly normal and a natural reaction of your body as it tries to heal.

You’ll have to wait a few more months to see the final result. At first, the area around the wound will still be tight and swollen, so you won’t be able to really see what the result looks like yet. It may take a few weeks for all the swelling and bruising to subside. Only then will you be able to properly assess the result.

Scars

The scars from the procedure will be barely visible, and they will cause you virtually no discomfort. Although they won’t bother you, it’s good to know that a scar takes one to one and a half years to fully settle.

Any surgical procedure can involve potential risks and complications. In the case of plastic surgery, these risks are lower because the patients are generally healthy individuals. Thanks to our professional approach, thorough patient education, and comprehensive medical history, we minimize these risks to an absolute minimum.

In addition, you can also help reduce certain risks by carefully following the instructions you have been given.

Possible complications:

• Hematoma (a collection of blood under the skin that requires removal)

• Adverse reaction to the anesthesia

• Postoperative bleeding

• Infection

• Change in sensation

• Permanent visible and/or palpable scars

• Damage to underlying structures

• Unsatisfactory aesthetic result

Smoking

We would like to inform you that if you smoke or use tobacco or nicotine products at the time of surgery, there is a higher risk of complications. These include poorer wound healing and skin necrosis. It can also have a negative effect on anesthesia, potentially resulting in an increased risk of bleeding. The same applies if you are exposed to secondhand smoke; in that case, you have an increased risk of similar complications. We therefore strongly recommend that you refrain from smoking for at least four weeks before surgery and continue to do so throughout the entire recovery process.