POSTED UNDER Labiaplasty REVIEWS
Labiaplasty Covered by Insurance - Medford, MA
ORIGINAL POST
I have been complaining about my large labia since...
Boob EnvyOctober 29, 2016
WORTH IT
I have been complaining about my large labia since the birth of my son 14 years ago. Doctor after doctor told me there was nothing I could do and that I just had to live with it. I couldn't understand how there could be nothing I could do about it but lost hope as no one would listen. I had seriously considered cutting them off myself on many occasions but was worried I wouldn't be able to do both sides and would be even more mangled than I already was. During my first pregnancy it grew to an enormous size even though many said that wasn't possible. I am also convinced that the vacuum they used along with the episiotomy led to what I have now.
It wasn't until a couple of years ago when I had breast augmentation that I found out there was indeed surgery to fix my vagina. I mentioned my concerns again, but to my new doctor and she recommended I seek out a urogynecologist to perform a labiaplasty. I had searched for many but it seemed the only ones I could find were not willing to perform a surgery that was for "cosmetic purposes". This isn't cosmetic! This is labia that get pulled in during sex causing pain, labia that gets pinched and caught in clothing, labia that can't wear lace underwear because it's excruciating and painful, labia that barely fits in a bathing suit, labia that is too wide for many underwear and so I have to be very careful with what I buy. Labia that is painful and uncomfortable riding a bike, exercising, or even sitting on things like bleachers. I have literally come home on more than one occasion to a swollen, purple, labia because the circulation has been cut off from clothing or certain activities. Having sex is like a parting of the seas and it seems no matter what I do, my long, enlarged labia get "sucked in" during sex and so are costantly being pulled on. This is not cosmetic. This is about quality of life.
I have been with the same man since I was a teenager, him and I are the only ones who see my vagina and I know he loves it and me just the way we are. It's not about that, it's about me and my life. Of course a more aesthetically pleasing vagina would be a nice bonus as well.
Anyhow, my obgyn sent me to another obgyn who also performs labiaplasty. I met with her on October 18th. She did an exam, took some measurements and gave me her opinion. She said she would do the trim method with a laser, and reduce the size of my labia majora as it has lost its fullness. She will do the labia majora by removing some excess skin on the outside of the labia majora. I'm concerned about this as I hsve only ever seen or heard of it being done on the insure between the labia minora and majora, which would then leave the scar between the two which would ultimately be barely visible if at all. Even though this is not for cosmetic reasons I still feel like they should try to make scarring minimal. She also said I only have "2 folds" on my clitoral hood and so that doesn't need to be addressed. I think when she cuts of the minora the hood is going to be weirdly bulging out everywhere as it is clearly too big.
I thought it would be best to have this done by a gynecologist as they would be more familiar with the delicate anatomy , but now I'm growing concerned that it's going to be butchered and I'll hate the way it looks although I won't be sitting on it anymore.
Honestly I'm a little nervous about expressing my concerns because she had my insurance company agree to cover the procedure so I'm worried if I argue about the aesthetics of it that she will think that's why I'm doing it and then I'll have trouble with insurance paying for it. She did take measurements etc and said I do fall in the "above nomad range" which to me is probably why I qualified for insurance.
Anyhow I'm scheduled for December 16th and I'm thrilled as I have been wanting this for 14 years, I just hope I get a say.
I have to take pictures but if you go on my profile under my questions there are pictures from me asking about labiaplasty.
It wasn't until a couple of years ago when I had breast augmentation that I found out there was indeed surgery to fix my vagina. I mentioned my concerns again, but to my new doctor and she recommended I seek out a urogynecologist to perform a labiaplasty. I had searched for many but it seemed the only ones I could find were not willing to perform a surgery that was for "cosmetic purposes". This isn't cosmetic! This is labia that get pulled in during sex causing pain, labia that gets pinched and caught in clothing, labia that can't wear lace underwear because it's excruciating and painful, labia that barely fits in a bathing suit, labia that is too wide for many underwear and so I have to be very careful with what I buy. Labia that is painful and uncomfortable riding a bike, exercising, or even sitting on things like bleachers. I have literally come home on more than one occasion to a swollen, purple, labia because the circulation has been cut off from clothing or certain activities. Having sex is like a parting of the seas and it seems no matter what I do, my long, enlarged labia get "sucked in" during sex and so are costantly being pulled on. This is not cosmetic. This is about quality of life.
I have been with the same man since I was a teenager, him and I are the only ones who see my vagina and I know he loves it and me just the way we are. It's not about that, it's about me and my life. Of course a more aesthetically pleasing vagina would be a nice bonus as well.
Anyhow, my obgyn sent me to another obgyn who also performs labiaplasty. I met with her on October 18th. She did an exam, took some measurements and gave me her opinion. She said she would do the trim method with a laser, and reduce the size of my labia majora as it has lost its fullness. She will do the labia majora by removing some excess skin on the outside of the labia majora. I'm concerned about this as I hsve only ever seen or heard of it being done on the insure between the labia minora and majora, which would then leave the scar between the two which would ultimately be barely visible if at all. Even though this is not for cosmetic reasons I still feel like they should try to make scarring minimal. She also said I only have "2 folds" on my clitoral hood and so that doesn't need to be addressed. I think when she cuts of the minora the hood is going to be weirdly bulging out everywhere as it is clearly too big.
I thought it would be best to have this done by a gynecologist as they would be more familiar with the delicate anatomy , but now I'm growing concerned that it's going to be butchered and I'll hate the way it looks although I won't be sitting on it anymore.
Honestly I'm a little nervous about expressing my concerns because she had my insurance company agree to cover the procedure so I'm worried if I argue about the aesthetics of it that she will think that's why I'm doing it and then I'll have trouble with insurance paying for it. She did take measurements etc and said I do fall in the "above nomad range" which to me is probably why I qualified for insurance.
Anyhow I'm scheduled for December 16th and I'm thrilled as I have been wanting this for 14 years, I just hope I get a say.
I have to take pictures but if you go on my profile under my questions there are pictures from me asking about labiaplasty.
Replies (5)
October 30, 2016
Welcome! You are right, this isn't purely cosmetic (for most of us), it's about quality of life. I understand completely. Unfortunately, most of us have to go to plastic surgeons to correct what's been bothering us. Some are able to have their surgery covered through insurance by going through their gynecologists. Unfortunately, gynecologists are usually not trained in these types of surgeries, even though they may be well acquainted with our anatomy. Performing this kind of surgery is a whole other ballpark. It sounds like you are already have concerns about going with a gynecologist. Have you had any consultations with plastic surgeons? Most are free and you have plenty of time before your scheduled surgery. It sucks having to pay for this surgery out of pocket. This was definitely not "cosmetic" for me in the traditional definition. I had pain and discomfort for years and did not like how I looked either. I did a ton of research and found that many of the botched surgeries were performed by gynecologists. Of course, some ladies had good outcomes. Many had horrific outcomes. As much as I hated paying $4000 out of pocket, I was more concerned about having a skilled surgeon which would help to reduce the chance of complications and subsequent revisions. Many of the fantastic surgeons on this site all warn about going with a gynecologist because it's less expensive or is covered by insurance. It's are not trained in labiaplasty. It's a big risk. The best advice would be to do extensive research on your surgeon or another potential surgeon. Check out their reviews and the before and after photos. Have consultations and ask tons of questions. Can this surgeon help achieve what you are looking for? What would be the best method for your anatomy? You stated you hope you get a say. YOU MOST DEFINITELY DO!!!!! Everything you want should be discussed BEFORE surgery. Given your concerns, I think you should most definitely see several plastic surgeons about labiaplasty. I would hate for you to go through the surgery only to need to have a later revision. More money, more pain and more recovery. You get one good shot at surgery. I'm sure the docs on this site can help guide you to a well trained labiaplasty doc in your area. Not trying to be a downer, but I've seen so many botched stories here by gynos. Too many women have been through hell and I don't want to see another. Good luck, I hope everything works out for you!!
December 17, 2016
Thank you very much for your input. I did go back and talk with her 2 more times before surgery. I also had several consultations with plastic surgeons including many who would do it under my insurance so I still would not have had to pay. I ended up sticking with my gynecologist as this is kind of her specialty and she has been performing this procedure for about 20 years. I was also fortunate enough to meet some of her patients in person and see her work first hand. I also discussed with her the possibility of me not being happy with the outcome and she said if I'm not happy in a couple of months she will fix it and it would also be covered by insurance as it would be a follow up procedure. I had plastic surgery once before so I am no stranger to all the research involved, it's daunting but definitely necessary. I also found that I had 2 women I went to high school with and had been good friends with worked in her office so I spoke with them as well. She performs several procedures a week and some of her nurses have also had it done. I'm hoping I chose correctly and that all will be well and I am confident it will be. She reduced my labia minora and majora but not the prepuce. She said she believes it will fall into place better now that the labia has been removed, and that she preferred not to cut that sensitive area if she didn't have to as it doesn't scar as well as the rest of it. She did also say though if I wasn't happy with it in a couple of months that I could go back and she will fix it for me. I just had it done at 1:30 this afternoon so obviously I have no idea what the final outcome will be yet but I did get to see it in the surgical room with a mirror before it got really swollen and it looked very good to me. So far I am happy and am in no pain at all. Hopefully it stays that way but we shall see. Thank you again go your input, it is greatly appreciated.
October 30, 2016
Gynecologists are not trained for this type of surgery! Please go see a plastic surgeon and do your research to find the best one, no mater what is the price or the area!! I have been botched and trust me, you really don't want to go through this.... I wish I had paid, 5000-10000 the first time. I had I reconstruction done and it cost me a lot more than that... Take your time, have a lot of consultations, ask questions, see a lot of before/after pictures. Good luck
December 17, 2016
Thank you very much for your concerns and I am very sorry to hear about your difficulty. I used a surgical gynecologist who has been performing them for about 20 years. I also had the pleasure of meeting several of her patients and seeing the results first hand in person. Hopefully mine will turn out as good as theirs did. I just had it done today so only time will tell. So far I'm feeling pretty good.
UPDATED FROM Boob Envy
Day of treatment
Day of Surgery
Boob EnvyDecember 16, 2016
Today was the big day! My surgery was scheduled for 1:30 and I had to arrive by 12:30. We ended up getting there early so I got to go in a bit early. When I arrived they had me take a pregnancy test even though I had a tubal, talked to me about what would happen and then had to put numbing cream on the whole area. Once I put the cream on they had my husband come I and hang out with me until it was time for surgery. The 2 doctors performing the procedure came in and went through everything with me again and made sure all questions were answered. I peed again and the went into the special procedures room. They said even with the numbing cream that the local anesthesia injections would be painful but they were not at all. They also gave me a small amount of IV sedation but they said since I was calm I didn't need much. I had 2 doctors and 2 nurses there and they just talked with me the whole time. I could see what they were doing in the reflection of the doctors glasses and I thought that would gross me out since it was being done on me but it was actually pretty interesting. She offered me a mirror and there was a tiny little triangle on one of the labia minora still so I asked her to remove it and she did. I had the labia minora reduced as well as the labia majora. The majora was reduced near the vaginal opening and then stitched closed. The entire procedure was completed using a laser and so did not need to be stitched with the exception of the majora. I did not have the prepuce reduced at all today. She felt that it would go back into place once the weight of the labia was removed and didn't want to mess with that area for no reason. If I'm not happy with it in a couple of months she said she would do another procedure to reduce that. It would be a follow up and so she said it round be covered by insurance as well. It is definitely swollen but does not look as bad as I had expected so far. I'm also not really in any pain. According to them the medication should have worn off by about 3 but so far so good. There was some stinging and burning shortly after but it was more annoying and uncomfortable than it was painful. Even though it's ugly right now I know I will be much happier. I won't have to deal with the pain ad discomfort of all that extra labia and I am thrilled. It was also nice to have the darker pigments on the minor removed so I think I will lot only feel better physically but also mentally and emotionally as I was bothered by the feel and the look. Oh so far peeing has not been painful either. I am on vacation until January 3rd so I will try to update daily. Also please feel free to email me at Sugarbum24@hotmail.com if you would like or if I'm taking too long to respond on here.
Welcome to the community. Thank you for sharing your story so candidly -- many women can relate to how you're feeling and will be so thankful to know hey are not alone. There is a wealth of information here on RealSelf, have you browsed the the Video Library yet? Be sure to mingle with the community by commenting on reviews and joining the many discussions going on in the Forums, here's one to get you started.
Keep us posted on your next steps -- good luck!