What Are the Most Common Labiaplasty Risks?

Labiaplasty risks are real, and it’s important to be aware of them. Fortunately, actual complications from this surgery are rare.

Whether you already have your operation date set for a labiaplasty procedure or you are only in the beginning stages of your labiaplasty journey, this article will explain the most common risks of labiaplasty — plus, tips for achieving safe and effective labiaplasty results without complications.

What Are the Risks of Labiaplasty?

All surgeries come with some potential for complications. What we want to do is to learn about these potential risks beforehand and do everything we can to avoid them. The most common risks associated with labiaplasty outpatient procedure include:

Loss of Sensation

Numerous sensory nerves are located in the labia and especially in the labia minora. Though rare, these nerves can be damaged during labiaplasty procedures, resulting in changes of sensation or loss of sensation altogether.

Note that, sometimes, changes in or loss of sensation in the labia minora may only be temporary following labiaplasty(surgical reduction). Sensation may return in many cases. In the majority of situations where sensation is lost in the labia minora (inner lips), the trim surgical technique was utilized during the surgical procedure.

Painful Scarring

Scarring after any type of invasive procedure is normal. But in rare cases, scarring after labiaplasty may be more severe. This can sometimes cause discomfort or even pain, especially during sexual intercourse where the vaginal opening is.

On the other hand, many patients seek labiaplasty in the first place because of painful sex. The excess tissue and skin folds on their labia can cause this discomfort. In this case, getting rid of the excess tissue can alleviate the pain, leading to a more sexual stimulation and a more enjoyable and healthy sex life after labiaplasty.

General Surgery Risks

In addition to the labiaplasty potential risks, complications, etc. outlined above, there are also general surgery risks to be aware of. These potential complications can occur with any type of invasive surgery:

Infection

Surgical site infections can occur with any surgery involving incisions and/or punctures to the skin. This is where germs can somehow enter the wound, and the effect is a large problem that necessitates immediate care.

If you have an incision site bacterial infection, you may experience a prolonged fever, excessive pain at the wound site, pus and drainage, a hot-to-the-touch incision site, excessive swelling, and intense redness radiating from the wound area. If these symptoms occur, contact your plastic surgeon right away or go to urgent care.

Scarring

Any time you have an incision with surgery, you will also have scarring. Fortunately, labiaplasty scars are well-hidden after labiaplasty because they blend nicely with the natural folds and wrinkles of the labia.

Most patients prefer the scars that form after the wedge procedure as opposed to the scars that result from the trim procedure (though, this is subjective). The trim procedure scars run along the outside edges of the labia minora, so they can be slightly more noticeable than the wedge technique scars.

If you are interested in learning more about what scarring of the labia minora or labia majora looks like after surgery, know that labiaplasty before and after photos can be difficult to find online. These are something you may be able to view at your consultation appointment, however.

Bleeding

During the procedure, if the patient’s blood pressure and heart rate are normal, bleeding is rare.  Following surgery, incision sites infrequently will not heal properly, and excessive bleeding may occur. This complication necessitates immediate medical attention. If you are experiencing sudden or ongoing bleeding at your incision sites, contact your plastic surgeon right away or seek immediate emergency medical care.

How to Avoid Complications Following Labiaplasty

After all surgical procedures, it is of the utmost importance to follow your surgeon’s guidelines for the healing process and attend all of your follow up appointments.

You should understand the common side effects ahead of time and do whatever you can to prepare for proper healing.

This will mean avoiding smoking, drinking alcohol, living anything heavy, and engaging in strenuous exercise. It will also mean eating a healthy diet, taking short walks (when cleared), drinking plenty of water, and getting enough sleep at night.

Do as you are instructed to reduce swelling. Keep your incision sites clean and dry. Bathe according to your surgeon’s guidelines. And understand what to look out for in terms of warning signs post-surgery.

By taking all of these patient safety steps, you should be able to heal well after surgery and avoid any complications.

FAQ: Risks of Labiaplasty Surgery

Is labiaplasty a high risk surgery?

Labiaplasty is not anymore high risk than most other cosmetic surgery procedures. While it is always important to closely follow all post operative care instructions after surgery, most patients have successful and safe procedures.

Can labiaplasty cause nerve damage?

Loss of sensation is rare after labiaplasty, but it can occur. Only seeing a board certified and highly qualified surgeon for this cosmetic procedure can help reduce your chances of loss of sensation. Note that some plastic surgeons are not board certified and should be avoided.

How painful is labiaplasty?

While it is quite normal to have some physical discomfort or mild pain in the surgical area following surgery, the surgical procedure itself should not be painful because local anesthesia or general anesthesia will be used.

Moreover, you should not experience severe pain that cannot be improved with pain medication during your labiaplasty recovery. If you do, contact your surgeon right away.

Call Today to Set Up a Consultation Appointment

If you are interested in labiaplasty, now is a good time to gain more information about your candidacy for plastic surgery in general, the labiaplasty procedure itself, labiaplasty cost, and more. It all starts with your labiaplasty consultation appointment.

Female board certified plastic surgeon Dr. Dahlia Rice can help you better understand the labiaplasty plastic surgery procedure and tell you if this is the right surgery for you. Please contact us today to book your appointment.

References

https://www.plasticsurgery.org/cosmetic-procedures/aesthetic-genital-plastic-surgery/labiaplasty