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  • Differences in Labiaplasty Techniques
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The pain on the labiaplasty is very dependent upon the technique used and the surgeon. I would have to say that the pain with a trimming technique, which I do not do is much more painful than the pain from the wedge technique which I developed. The reason being is the incision line of the trimming technique is on both sides of the vaginal opening, so it's always in contact with clothes and with sex. Whereas with the wedge technique, when you take out this wedge, the incision line goes on the inside and it goes on the side towards the clitoral hood. So there's really very, very little pain more than a few days afterwards. It's a little uncomfortable but it's not anywhere as painful and there's a much less of a chance of having chronic pain because the scar is not exposed.

Ideally a plastic surgeon should do it, which is not to say there aren't some good gynecologists too. I see in my practice, I'd say about a quarter of the patients I operate on are reconstruction of labiaplasties that were done by either plastic surgeons, but mostly by gynecologists. These women come in with deformities because too much labia was removed where they're self-conscious now because there's nothing there or they have bad scars or painful scars or asymmetry. And in many cases, I can make them look completely normal when they started out looking terribly deformed.

Differences in Labiaplasty Techniques

Dr. Gary Alter explains why a certain technique of labiaplasty will lead to less pain during recovery, as well as why a trained plastic surgeon should operate as opposed to a gynecologist.