Vaginoplasty

Who Can Benefit From Vaginoplasty

There are several ways that vaginoplasty can be helpful for women.

• After childbirth: After a woman gives birth naturally, the muscles in her vagina can weaken. This can cause issues with sexual intercourse, incontinence problems and a general feeling of “looseness.” Vaginoplasty can strengthen the vagina walls and muscles and decrease the vaginal diameter.
• Vaginal defects: Every vagina is different. Some people do not like the appearance of their vagina, and others may have defects in their vagina. If this causes self-esteem issues for the woman,vaginoplasty can help. In other cases, a defect can be caused by a disease or trauma and may need to be repaired.

How is Vaginoplasty Performed?

Depending on the goals of the patient, a vaginoplasty would be performed as either a reconstructive surgery or a cosmetic surgery. In order for the treatment to be successful, vaginal walls and muscles are tightened to change the appearance of the vagina. During the procedure, the surgeon removes any excess vaginal lining, any surrounding tissue, and then tightens the vaginal walls. The entire procedure is performed with a laser, and typically takes between one and two hours. Generally, a local anesthetic is used for the patient’s comfort.

What to Expect After Vaginoplasty?

In most cases, the recovery from vaginoplasty is less stressful to the body than recovering from having a second childbirth. Most women need two to three days of rest. In order to reduce the pain and swelling, women should ice the area regularly for the first 48 to 72 hours. If there is still swelling, heat may then be applied.

When showering, women should carefully clean the surgical area and then dab it so that it is completely dry. They should then apply an antibiotic ointment to the external stitches.

Depending on how physically strenuous their jobs are, most patients can return to work within two to three days. If there were other vaginal procedures performed, such as a labiaplasty to reshape the lips or a hymenoplasty to restore the hymen to its condition before the woman had intercourse, she should wait about a week to return to work.

Women who have had vaginoplasty should avoid any strenuous exercise for about three weeks, until the stitches are dissolved. Sitz baths can help speed the healing process.

After about four weeks, women should use a small toy to open up the vaginal canal. If the toy is comfortable, women can begin gentle sexual activity about five to six weeks after surgery. After about 13 weeks, the healing should be complete.