My right labia is missing, and I am in pain and my clitoris hurts me. I can't walk normally. Is this normal?

Dear Am28,Thank you for writing in with your concerns and sharing your photos.No, it is not normal to be in the kind of pain you describe 4 weeks after labiaplasty.  I am sorry to hear about your post-op results.   I recommend you follow up with your surgeon and/or get a second opinion from another cosmetic-plastic surgeon who is highly experienced in labiaplasty and its complications.There does not appear to be signs of infection.  It may be the residual sutures are causing your pain or that too much tissue was removed and a nerve is exposed.  It is difficult to see your clitoral area to specifically understand that source of your pain.I recommend to my patients extra strength Tylenol to take the edge off the pain and arnica Montana is a natural product to help reduce inflammation and is over-the-counter.  Dermaplast numbing spray is available at drug stores in the postpartum section and can also help as well as Sitz baths (soaking your bottom in warm water with a small amount of anti-bacterial soap.)I hope this information is helpful and wish you a speedy recovery!Sincerely,Troy Robbin Hailparn, MD, FACOGCosmetic Gynecology Center of San Antonio

Thank you for sharing your question and photographs and I am sorry to hear of your persistent discomfort after surgery.  I would recommend seeing your surgeon for an in-person evaluation.  Pain this far out from surgery is unusual and deserves an examination. Best wishes.

The best thing to do is call your surgeon, who is familiar with both procedures and all that was done. Explain your concerns. If you would like a second opinion, see a board-certified plastic surgeon or gynecologist with good before-and-after photos of labiaplasty. For more information, see the link below.All the best.

You'll need to communicate with your surgeon. When one chooses a surgeon, you are choosing someone you trust, who is very experienced, and whom you can communicate with if there are problems during recovery. As a genital cosmetic surgeon who has not examined you personally and knows nothing about your sutures or the problem you had "...5 days after..." I am not in a position to give you specific advice. 

If you remain unhappy after another month, and your personal surgeon cannot provide some degree of satisfaction, then consult personally with an experienced genital plastic/cosmetic surgeon. We here con only help giude you, but not giver specific advice.

Best wishes,

Michael P Goodman, MD

Davis, Northern CA, USA