Labiaplasty: Stories

I wanted this surgery for a long time, and once I discovered it, I was enthused. I found a surgeon was comfortable with, and could afford.
I had the surgery friday, and expected to be back to moderate activity by Monday. My regret is not having allowed enough time afterwards to recover.

I did go through a complication on about the 3rd and 4th days- extreme, abnormal swelling to where I couldn't walk. The surgeon said he had never seen that much before. Also clots that were coming out of the stitches
If you're going to do it I would advise to take at least two weeks off from work so youre not left in a frusterating boat like I am right now trying to recover and feeling behind.

I'm probably the only freak out there that took pictures immediately following the surgery, but wish I would have seen some like these prior to mine so I would have known it really is very serious. Seeing these photos wouldn't have stopped me, nothing could have, all the complications you read about- you never think it will be you.

I just hope my photos are informative, take enough time off from your daily life, and make sure you have someone caring that won't get tired of waiting on your every need.

Unfortunately my only before photo got deleted, If i would have known prior to surgery i would have taken another one but I had minimal excess inner labia, wih a bit of a larger hood.

I was trying to get the barbie doll look, aren't we all? So I'll keep posting rpics, and I hope everything looks normal down the road..

Now Wed night (had surgery Fri) and the swelling is starting to go down.
All of the stories i have read say "it was really swollen afterwards, but definitely smaller than prior to surgery." NOT me!

I'm really not freaked out, still have hope.
Today when I got out of bed I was walking a bit more normal, and can put my legs a little closer together.

It is nice to have an ice pack in there when I walk around.. adds some compression so it's not so bad.

Took my first visit into society today, took my son to a 45 min class and was very uncomfortable, but not unbearable..just the right amt. of time.
Also went out to dinner with an ice pack tucked in there..leggings and a dress, and sat relaxed back with my feet up on the booth across from me. Will take more pix today, but not much change..a little less bruising and a tiny bit smaller

I have another post op tomorrow but things today are basically the same as yesterday.
Does anyone know how long I can expect before my thing is looking normal again?
Also, the stitches running across the labia are really bothersome, took advil but still can't sit normal or walk that great, which sucks bc myck is back is really hurting from sitting around in weird positions so much!!


Had to call the office to say I didn't feel the need to come yesterday, that I would rather come Friday, then had to call again just now to ask for an earlier apt. I feel like I've bothered them way too much.. especially after being late for my operation. They must think i'm so flaky, I'm just ready for this to all be over.. Had to miss scool again today and I am really behind, but trying to study hurts my back bc I can't sit at the desk!!!

So on Thursday, almost a week post surgery, I discovered that the stitches inside my labia minora had split open. There was a gaping hole. I had an apt. the next morning, but was also supposed to go to work..didn't end up happening btw.
Cried myself to sleep, was so disgusted with the situation.
Next morning, knowing the stitches may not stay in this time either bc the skin is so beat up, got more shots, more stitches (not on any pain killers this time and the shots hurt worse bc i was so tender from before)
The doc said i didn't NEED the stitches bc my body is capable of healing it f rom the inside out, but that it would prob be more comfortable.
MOST pain ever after this little experience, was forced to take a vicodin and was still in pain.

Now, Sunday, i see that the stitches have come out again. Guess i will just have to let it heal, and hope the swelling goes down soon..It's like the size it was before the surgery now! haha

The inside of my labia where the stitches had to be put for a second time have come out leaving a hole inside my labia minora. Will this heal okay?

If your stitches fall out will you truly heal on your own "from the inside out"?
There is a gaping hole inside my labia and i need to know if this is a cause for concern?? I am going in to get a second opinion from my reg. obgyn on Thurs, then back to the surgeons office on Friday.. But i need peace of mind before then!

Went back to pretty normal activity today. Took my son to the same class that i took him to last week and compared to last was much better!! I sat (on the side lines) through the 45 min class in pain last week, and this week was able to do it with him with minimal discomfort.
Also drove myself to school to take a mid term which the teacher so kindly left for me to do over spring break due to the un-expected long heal time from this surgery. Went out to eat with the family, but once I got home went to put neosporin in my incision sites, and am just so grossed out when I see the inside of my labia. The swelling has gone down, for the most part, but hopefully goes down more since it is still bigger than I want. Trying to decide whether or not i should take the time to drive half an hour to the obgyn tomo morning to get a 2nd opinion, but i really think i am going to. Since last thursday, when i discovered that the stitches had come out, I really don't think i have healed on the left side AT ALL. Though I had the stitches put in, and they came out, maybe it would have been better to just leave it since here i am in the same boat again. Will try to get a picture of the open wound, but the only way to even see it is by taking a q tip and opening the labia..so not sure if i will be able to get a good shot. Maybe I should just do myself a favor and avoid looking anymore! I have been getting extra tired and it's only five thirty and I am exhausted. Lastly: This is the longest I have gone without having sex in years.. stay away from reading erotica during your recovery... :D

Went to the obgyn today to get another opinion and for peace of mind. She told me that she would not reccomend getting more stitches, that the mucosa will heal on its own eventually, and that I should see improvement in the next week. Am very sore from going to the store and pushing a cart around. Still going to the surgeon tomo for a follow up.

So two weeks post op and I'm still not sure if I'm happy with my decision. I still can't see a final result, but I thought I would update with a couple of photos. Still have swelling to go down, and cuts to heal, but when I look at the photos from the day after my surgery there is a lot of improvement.

It has been almost three weeks since surgery. I returned back to school yesterday, and am just trying to get caught up with life now! I still have the "hole" where the stitches came out on the left side, and though it's not healed it is better than it WAS. Also, the stitches cam out on right side leaving a tiny little hole, not anything like the left side. The only thing currently bothersome is where the skin is healing across the right labia. It feels very tight where the skin is healing together. I am going back for another post op in two days, on the three month mark..Curious to see if he will want me to come back to finalize that it has all healed in a couple more weeks. Pretty scary to think that I have to wait an additional 4-6 weeks to have sex once the wound is healed SHUT...that will take at least a couple more weeks. Still generally sore, achy, and swollen, but haven't really been putting ice on anymore bc the pressure just bothers me. Took the next couple of weeks off from work, and though I could probably go back I am still sore, so I really just want to completely heal before I go back..Plus, I got so behind in school that it's probably good to have time to catch up with that..
I would like to take more pics, though it all looks the same, but I seem to have mis-placed my camera. Thank GOD I deleted all my vag pictures off of it! haha

Today I went to my three week post op apt. He said swelling has gone down since last week, I can't tell if there's much difference between last week and now, but it's hard to see day to day changes. I took a couple of three week pictures and will post today. It seems like the part that is still swollen is so wrinkly! I am excited to see a final result!! At this point I would say I protrude a tiny tiny bit less than prio to surgery. I wonder how much more it will go down once the final swelling subsides. I was also told that the open wound should close up within the next week. I go back for hopefully the last follow up in two weeks. Once my surgeon saw my unusual reaction post surgery he was very good about having me come in often to check up on things. Though I prob could have skipped last weeks apt. and this weeks, and prob just gone in a month, he was very thorough with follow up care, which I am grateful for. My biggest concern prior to surgery was that he wouldn't cut enough off, and I would still be left with *in my opinion, too large of a labia minora, but still can't see a final result. Though I had complications with the wedge technique I think it was the best option rather than the trim, so I don't regret the method used. And to end on a funny note: About one week post surgery I bought a hand mirror to be able to see close up down there- I know a lot of woman don't look until a few weeks after surgery, but I like to see what's up, what things are looking like, and track my progress!..anyway, every time I have used it I used the side with 5x magnification, which really isn't that much, it's perfect for the task of getting neosporin in there.. Well, today as my surgeon examined me I looked down and thought hmmm, it really doesn't look AS swollen..then after leaving I realized.. I've been using the mirrow with magnification and thought that was the REAL size of everything! haha.. which isn't weird for me to think bc the 5x magnification is the size it was after surgery. So when I got home I looked at it with the OTHER side without magnification and it looked better!

So it has now been four weeks since my surgery and most of the swelling has gone down. Yester day and today kinda achy. Tried wearing jeans to school today and was uncomfortable the whole time, won't try that again for a while. Inside still opened up on left side- my body seems to heal slowly.. The surgeon told me a week ago that they would be closed within the next week, guess it'll take anotherr week! I go back next fri on the five week mark to get (probably) my last post op apt. I am debating what I should say if it has not gone down to size I was hoping for. I am thankful that he didn't cut too much off, but seriously, I went through ALL of THAT to get 1 cm of a difference?...It has been a month now. Also.. I think that since it swelled up so much the labia are really wrinkly now..it's weird. Let me know if you have any thoughts on what I can say..It is very intimidating to me to have to complain to him, even through my painful recovery I never once complained to him. Also, will post 4 week pictures

I waited to do my five week update a few days late since I had my last post op apt. today. I won't be posting any photos since things look the same. Though it has been five and a half weeks I still haven't had sex and don't think I will for another month...All in all, I am kind of dissapointed. Though I experienced some unusual complications, I stuck through the pain, but unfortunately didn't get the anticipated result. The doctor asked me if I was satisfied and I just said that I would prefer it to be a little bit smaller. He agreed right away and said that if I would like to come back in about six months we could re-evaluate the situation. I wouldn't feel comfortable doing a revision for at least another year..especially since I would need to take time off of work again. He said he didn't think that I would have complications like that again since they are so rare, but who knows. I still am not healed, I am still sore, it has just been a crazy experience. He was gracious enough to offer a revision at no cost, so I will have to see how my incision sites heal and go from there.

Had sex a couple of days ago for like 4.5 minutes. Was sore for the rest of the day. My boyfriend and I are getting impatient. Surgeon briefly said it was "up to me" if I wanted to. What does that mean? I'm going to make an appointment with my regular obgyn again. It is clear at this point that I went through everything for nothing. I am still in the healing stage, not even just waiting for the scar tissue to settle, but still putting neosporin on and everything. Almost seven weeks later.

Made an apt. with my obgyn for Monday, in three days. There is a bump on the left side where things are healing together that hurts really bad! Any type of pressure on the area hurts, even when I walk it is not painfulll but it does hurt! I'll update with news from the obgyn. I'm going to ask if she thinks it's even a good idea to go back to this guy for a revision later on. I've decided I really should do it if he's admitting it's not good by offering to redo it for free.

After visiting the obgyn a couple of weeks ago she advised that it really wouldn't be a good idea to have sex yet. She offered to visit with me again early june. Since then just this week I had a breast augmentation by a different doctor that went a thousand times better than the labiaplasty. Even if results don't turn out perfect with it, not nearly as bad of a recovery. Since everything did go okay with this other surgery it gives me hope that my labiaplasty was a rare incidence, and that when I get it redone I i will be back to work in three days like most other. As for how my vagina is right now, it is still pretty sore! I still have bumps where the skin should have healed together originally, but failed, and in this area along the labia it is much thinner. I really feel as though the surgeon failed by not putting me on an antibiotic upon having , surgery, and will request it next time. I did have sex today, and was sore afterwards. I assume it will not be sore in a couple more months. The inside of the labia where the stitches came out is still open, and it will be interesting to see how it completely heals. Probably not until I get the revision will it all be put back together, and the bumps will be gone. I definitely will not be able to do the revision for many more months, so this will probably be my last post for now. I will definitely update when the time comes to do a revision. It has really been a crazy experience, and if anyone needs emotional support through this experience, I feel ya, and e-mail me!! Also, thought I would put up my goal pic again because i do still think it's realistic.