Labiaplasty – Neatness Counts

Labiaplasty is a cosmetic genital surgical procedure that will reduce the size or change the shape of the small lips on the outside of the vagina (the labia minora).

Labiaplasty diagram

Many women are born with large or irregular labia. Others develop this condition after childbirth or with aging. The appearance of the enlarged labia can cause embarrassment with a sexual partner or loss of self esteem. Some women just want to look “prettier” like the women they see in magazines or in films.

Chronic labial irritation can sometimes develop in women who wear tight clothing. Discomfort can occur with sex, sports or other physical activities.

Labiaplasty surgery can greatly enhance the cosmetic appearance of the outer vagina, giving many women greater confidence and self-esteem. Women whose labia become irritated and painful will often find relief after surgery.

Dr. Ronald D. Blatt on Cosmetic Genital Surgery

Do you have additional questions about Labia Surgery? If you would like to schedule an appointment with a top board-certified gynecologist in New York City, please call us at 212-308-4066. Or, you may use our convenient contact form.

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Frequently Asked Questions

The two main reasons are discomfort and esthetics. Many women feel uncomfortable or irritated when wearing tight clothing, having sexual relations, or exercising. Other women just want to look “prettier”. With the increased availability and acceptance of sexually explicit materials in our society, this is becoming more common. Often these women feel embarrassed or self-conscious in front of their partners.

Cosmetic Reasons: Women who are unhappy or embarrassed with the way their labia look. Often this affects sexual relationships and self-esteem. Some women just want to look as beautiful as they can for themselves and their partner. With the increasing openness of society to sexuality and greater exposure to sexually explicit materials, labiaplasty is becoming increasingly popular.

Medical Reasons: Women who have discomfort from enlarged labia. This can come from exercise, sexual activity or from wearing tight clothes.

Yes. Whether you have had children or not is not the issue. The issue is whether the enlarged labia cause physical discomfort or unhappiness because of their appearance.

The surgeries are performed in our outpatient surgical suite located in New York City’s famed East Side. We are proud that our office is an AAAASF surgical facility.

The average length of a labiaplasty procedure is between 1 and 2 hours. An additional hour is spent in our recovery room under the supervision of a Registered Nurse.

We perform this procedure under conscious sedation usually using a a very short acting medication named Diprovan (propophol). You will be asleep during the procedure and will awaken within minutes after the surgery is completed. You will not be paralyzed or intubated during the surgery. Please note that this is different at other facilities where the patient is often awake during the surgical procedure. We feel that our patients are more comfortable using this form of anesthesia. Anesthesia services are provided by board certified anesthesiologists and are included in the cost of the procedure.

The most common risks of labiaplasty surgery may include bleeding, infection, and scarring, however these are very unusual.

You will have discomfort at the surgical site for the first few days which will then decrease. All patients are sent home with prescriptions for pain medication and antibiotics. Full healing takes approximately six weeks. All sutures used are absorbable and therefore do not need to be removed.

For our patients in the New York Metropolitan area we recommend post operative visits at two, four, six, and eight weeks to insure proper healing and excellent results. For our patients from out of town we recommend, if at all possible, a post operative visit at three to four weeks.

Most patients return to work in two to four days after surgery. General medical excuse letters for work that do not state the type of surgery are available upon request.

We recommend avoiding strenuous exercise for at least four weeks and possibly longer.

Sexual activity usual can resume six to eight weeks after the labiaplasty surgical procedure.

For the vast majority of women the clitoris is the structure associated with sensory pleasure, not the labia. As such you should not notice any loss of pleasurable sensation after surgery. Many women find sexual activity more pleasurable because the Labia are no longer irritated during intercourse.

Usually this area is not altered during the surgery. Some women do have excessive skin in this area and it can be trimmed to give a more pleasing and natural appearance at the time of surgery. This can be discussed at the time of consultation.

If the labia were interfering with intercourse, both of you will notice an improvement. Visually, your partner should notice that your labia are now smaller and better proportioned.

Yes. Both procedures can be done at the same time.

Insurance usually does not cover this surgery because it is considered elective.

Yes. We have arrangements with two financial institutions for no interest and low interest financing of your surgery.

Yes. We accept MasterCard, Visa, American Express and Discover.

Dr. Blatt and his staff will be happy to discuss this procedure with you. Please feel free to call to speak with Dr. Blatt directly if you have any further questions, or use our convenient contact form.

Consultations can be scheduled any time. We prefer a 48 hour notice to schedule surgery although at times we have been able to accommodate patients with as little as 24 hour notice. You may also elect to schedule your surgery weeks or even months in advance.

The initial consultation is free. We believe once you meet our dedicated staff and see our state of the art facility you would become our patient.

Yes. Many of our out of town patients have their consultations immediately prior to surgery. At this time we perform a physical exam and discuss the surgery that interest you in full detail.