Labiaplasty Surgery Considered Safe, Effective

FRIDAY, Sept. 4, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Labiaplasty is a safe procedure that yields significant improvement in quality of life, according to a study published in the September issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

Sarah Sorice-Virk, M.D., from the Stanford University School of Medicine in California, and colleagues conducted preoperative and postoperative surveys of 62 patients (mean age, 33.5 years) undergoing labiaplasty regarding 11 physical and appearance-related symptoms.

The researchers found that all patients presented with at least one symptom (average, 6.5 symptoms). Most (82.2 percent) had a trim labiaplasty, with the remaining 17.7 percent having a wedge. During an average follow-up of 13.3 months, 93.5 percent of patients were symptom-free. Preoperative to postoperative symptom changes included declines in self-consciousness (93 to 6.5 percent), tugging (66.1 to 0 percent), feeling less attractive (66.1 to 0 percent), negative impact on self-esteem (64.5 to 1.6 percent), negative impact on intimacy (62.5 to 0 percent), twisting (58.1 to 3.2 percent), being uncomfortable (56.5 to 4.8 percent), clothing restriction (54.8 to 3.2 percent), visible outline (46.8 to 1.6 percent), pain (43.5 to 1.6 percent), and exposure in swimsuits (38.7 to 1.6 percent). There were no major complications reported.

“[The paper] provides new evidence that the current, common recommendation of nonsurgical treatments is inadequate to improve women’s symptoms related to excess vaginal tissue,” a coauthor said in a statement.

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