The Surrey Park Clinic
FEMALE HEALTH-GYNAECOLOGY-HORMONES01483 454 016
Stirling House, Stirling Road, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 7RF
Enlargement of the labia can cause great distress and effect a woman so much that she does not want to embark upon a relationship because of anxiety about comments. Sometimes she will have already received a careless or cruel remark regarding the size or shape of her labia and by the time most women have begun to research labial reduction, this or at least the fear of this occurring is usually the case.
In younger women or girls, it is often the fear the labia protruding from swim suits or discomfort on wearing jeans and underwear that leads her to request a professional opinion about reduction.
Whilst many people may judge this an unnecessary or even mutilating operation which should be classed along side necessary cosmetic surgery, this is therefore clearly not the case. Indeed, it is worthy of the smallest operations which offer most improvement and reward in regards of improved self-esteem and reduced anxiety.
As with all surgery it needs to be properly assessed by a surgeon familiar with performing this procedure and by definition therefore it should not be done where it is not necessary.
The labia are the folds of skin surrounding the vagina and clitoris, the labia minora (the inner folds or lips of the vulva), the labia majora (the outer lips). Usually it is the labia minora, which become most protuberant.The cause for this not known but is often familial and there can be a hormonal basis. With age the skin becomes looser and the labia then become less supported and any enlargement is more obvious.
The procedure is performed at The Surrey Park Clinic under local anesthetic or in one of our local Private Hospitals under general anesthetic.
The procedure takes around 30-45 minutes depending upon the extent of the surgery. If the surgery appears extensive you will be advised to have this done under general anesthetic. This will become clear at the initial assessment.
All surgery carries risks, most predominantly pain, bleeding and infection.
Following the procedure you will be given antibiotics and told to keep the area clean and dry and you will be given plenty of pain relief within the form of local anesthetic gel and painkilling tablets. Interestingly many women do not find this procedure as painful as one might expect and it is thought that where the labial have been prominent for sometime, constant rubbing has reduced the effect of nerve endings to the labia and they have become “deadened” by this constant rubbing.Nevertheless, it is important to realise that there will be quite significant pain and discomfort with this, although most women are back to work in two to three weeks and find that the first couple of days are the most uncomfortable following which normal activity can be resumed. Antibiotics should be taken for 5 days as follow-up.
You will be seen by your consultant two to three weeks after your procedure and then again at two months.
The areas that worry you most will be assessed for removal. Very occasionally the clitoral hoods (skin to the side of the clitoral region) can become enlarged and if these were not removed then there would be a disproportionate “step” if they were not graded to fit in with the rest of the surgery.It is important not expose that region too much as this is the area most heavily supplied with nerve endings and also blood vessels.
If the labia majora are to be reduced (the outer lips), this is usually advised to be carried out under general anesthetic in hospital, as this can be more associated with pain and bleeding and therefore it is a good idea to rest overnight with expert nursing care to administer adequate pain relief.
