What Can Go Wrong During Your Initial Labiaplasty?

Close-up of woman's abdomen with a sheet wrapped around her

Labiaplasty is a cosmetic surgical procedure that seeks to reduce the size of the labia minora (inner lips of the vagina) for better comfort and aesthetics. Labiaplasty is considered safe, but like any other surgical procedure, it is not without risks, especially when incorrect techniques are used or correct techniques are performed by unskilled hands.

Dr. Alter has dealt with many botched labiaplasty cases. In fact, nearly 40 percent of his practice is correcting unsatisfactory labiaplasty results from other surgeons.

As such, you need to be aware that several things can go wrong during and after your initial labiaplasty.

What Are the Common Risks Associated With Labiaplasty?

Labiaplasty is a surgical procedure, and therefore, you need to be aware that you could suffer from the general side effects of plastic surgery. Some examples of such side effects include bleeding, pain, blood clots, infection, and numbness.

In addition to these side effects, several other problems could emerge after a labiaplasty, especially if the surgery is performed by a non-specialist.

Some of such issues include:

Painful scars than can run the length of the labia minoras’ edge
Over-resection of tissue (elimination of too much tissue)
Discomfort at the surgical site
Discomfort during intimacy
Asymmetrical labia
Deformed labia

Why Are Some of These Risks Present?

Labiaplasty is commonly performed with one of two techniques. The first technique (the trim method) eliminates tissue along the exterior of the labias’ edge. The second technique (the central wedge) is a procedure created by Dr. Alter to provide more natural, comfortable results. This option removes a pie slice-shaped wedge from each labium.

Commonly, many complications that arise from labiaplasty occurred because of the trim method. During this technique, it is very easy to remove too much tissue, and since the incisions are so much longer and exposed, they can result in very painful scars. Additionally, this technique eliminates the edge of the labia, including the pigmented tissue found in natural-looking labia.

This is not the case with the wedge technique. This option gives Dr. Alter complete control over how much tissue is removed while maintaining a very natural shape. The pigmented tissue is also left untouched.

Can a Botched Labiaplasty Be Corrected?

In a nutshell, a botched labiaplasty could potentially leave a woman emotionally and physically drained.

If you have undergone a labiaplasty and are unsatisfied with the results, you are most likely wondering what can be done to fix the issue or improve the results. The good news is that the problem can often be fixed by a qualified plastic surgeon, such as Gary J. Alter, M.D.

Dr. Alter has the necessary experience and know-how to reconstruct the deformities that can arise from your initial labiaplasty. Over the years, he has created and refined several plastic surgical techniques that have been proven effective in fixing deformed clitoral hoods and labia minora.