The body goes through a number of changes during pregnancy and childbirth, including changes to the inner and outer labia. The labia may become larger or develop darker edges, or may stretch or tear during childbirth. In other instances, a surgical incision may be performed (episiotomy) to help control stretching and dilation of the vaginal canal during delivery. Because of these concerns, many women choose to wait until after they’ve completed their family before pursuing labiaplasty or vaginoplasty. However, labiaplasty before pregnancy can help alleviate physical discomfort due to the size or shape of your labia even if you have plans to become pregnant in the future.
Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Otto Placik serves Chicago and its suburbs, specializing in labiaplasty and other female genital rejuvenation procedures. Dr. Placik is highly experienced in labial contouring and repair for results that help you feel confident about your vaginal appearance. He has been interviewed, taught other medical professionals, attended numerous conferences, performed multiple presentations, written book chapters and online articles as well as conducted and participated in research studies on this subject.
Please contact us online or call our Chicago or Arlington Heights plastic surgery offices for more information on labiaplasty, including prices.
Dr. Placik is a board certified plastic surgeon in Chicago and an active member of The American Society of Plastic Surgeons. He received his medical degree from Northwestern University where he also completed residencies in general and plastic and reconstructive surgery.
Read more >>Pregnancy can take a heavy physical toll on a woman’s body. While many of the changes associated with having a baby are temporary, others may be permanent. The labia enlarge in response to pregnancy-related hormones, and may also darken, stretch or tear during childbirth. Because of this, labiaplasty is often performed on women who have already given birth, either for cosmetic reasons or to repair damaged tissue.
After pregnancy, other appearance concerns and physical changes can also be addressed through cosmetic gynecology, including vaginal rejuvenation to correct lax musculature in the vaginal wall. It’s common to combine labiaplasty with vaginal rejuvenation either as a separate procedure or as part of a mommy makeover.
Dr. Placik performs labiaplasty to create a more proportionate look, which can be accomplished by reducing the size of the labia minora (inner labia) or reducing/augmenting the size of the labia majora (outer labia). Sometimes a combination of both approaches, with or without a clitoral hood reduction, will deliver the best results. In other instances, a C-section scar (Pfannenstiel incision) may contribute to or cause an undesirable fullness of the mons pubis, which can be treated with scar revision and/or liposuction. Poorly healed episiotomy scars may cause discomfort or an unacceptable appearance, which can be addressed with a perineoplasty in combination with the above procedures.
Labiaplasty is usually performed under local anesthetic, so you can return home the same day of your surgery. Dr. Placik and his staff will give you detailed instructions to follow during your recovery, and you should be back to work within about a week after your procedure.
The best candidates for labiaplasty notice significant changes in the size, shape or color of their labia following pregnancy or childbirth. Other women may be genetically disposed toward larger labia even before pregnancy. Candidates should be in good general health overall and have realistic expectations about their results, and should not be pregnant at the time of surgery.
Since labiaplasty is primarily a cosmetic procedure, there’s no medical reason you can’t continue having children after an earlier labiaplasty that corrected pregnancy-related changes in your labia. However, you should be aware that future pregnancies could impact the results of your initial surgery.
The cost for labiaplasty will depend on many factors, including whether additional procedures will be performed at the same time. Your total fees will cover the cost of the surgical facility and anesthesiologist as well as Dr. Placik’s fee. Dr. Placik and his staff strive to provide excellent value and can help you with cosmetic surgery financing to make your procedure even more affordable.
It’s very common to include labiaplasty with additional genital rejuvenation procedures. For example, Dr. Placik may recommend a clitoral hood reduction in combination with an inner labia reduction for a more aesthetic final result. Women who choose labiaplasty to help decrease discomfort during intercourse may also want to heighten sexual sensations with G-spot amplification. Every woman is different, and Dr. Placik will work with you to determine the combination of procedures that will work best to meet your needs.
In general, the labia heal very rapidly and scars should be minimal. You may notice a pinkish or reddish tone to the scars at first, but this should fade over the first several months after surgery to become nearly invisible. Most women feel that the small scars that remain visible after labiaplasty are worth the trade-off for the improvement in physical comfort and self-confidence.
Labiaplasty is not a complex surgery, but there are still risks such as bleeding, infection or scarring to consider. In rare cases, more serious complications like hypersensitivity or loss of sensation at the incision site can occur. Dr. Placik will discuss all of these issues in more detail at your consultation.
Dr. Placik promises you his best possible care and attention. If you would like to schedule a private consultation to learn more about labiaplasty and pregnancy, please contact us online or call us at 847-398-1660.
To meet with double board-certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Otto J. Placik, you can request a consultation online or call our Arlington Heights office at 847-398-1660 or our Chicago office at 312-787-5313 to schedule your appointment. We look forward to meeting with you and helping you look your very best.
Disclaimer: Consumer information is not shared with third parties for marketing purposes.
Please take a moment to rate your experience with our team.
