Hmmm....This is a somewhat popular and edgy topic to speak about, lately, espeically with cosmetic vaginal procedures being spotlighted on some cable TV shows.
Cosmetic vaginal surgery is know by many names:
Vaginal Rejuvination
Vaginoplasty
“Designer Vagina”
“Down Under Makeover”
Vaginal Tightening
“Revirgination”
There are a lot of reasons someone may opt for this type of surgery. Actually, cosmetic vaginal surgery can be broken down into two main categories:
Vaginal tightening or vaginoplasty and labial reduction or labiaplasty.
Labiaplasty has slowly grown in popularity over the past decade. Women with long, fatty or hanging vaginal lips are candidates for labiaplasty. Essentially, the size of the labia are reduced to a narrow or slimmer size, depending on anatomy and patient desire. Some women have always had very noticeable labia, whereas others develop the problem after having children, or as they get older. Large labia can interfere and cause pain with sex, and can be uncomfortable with tight-fitting clothes. Labiaplasty is a form of vaginal rejuvenation. It can restore confidence as well as enhance sexual pleasure in some women.
Vaginplasty, ('vaginal tightening") is another female cosmetic surgery procedure that has risen in popularity as well. It involves tightening the vaginal muscles, and can be done in conjunction with labiaplasty. Women who have gone through multiple childbirths are often the best candidates for this procedure. Some women complain of a looseness of the vagina, with loss of sensation during sex, and decreased pleasure. Pelvic floor exercises, such as Kegels, do not address the sensation of a wide or loose vagina. Surgery for cystocele and rectocele (dropped bladder and dropped rectum) often include vaginal tightening, but vaginal tightening can be done on its own. The degree of tightness is improtant to quantify pre-op and can be done with dilators.
Patient expectations are important to gauge, and like any cosmetic surgery, can improve self-image, but it must be done for the right reasons.
Hymenoplasty, restoring the hymen, is performed most often on young women who want the surgery for religious or cultural reasons. The hymen is usually first torn with sexual intercourse, but can also tear with the use of tampons, masturbation or vigorous exercise/accidents/horsebacking riding. It is a very thin membrane of skin located in the lower 1/3 of the vagina.
Dr. Matthew Karlovsky is a urologist that specializes in female pelvic health in Phoenix, Ariz. For more information, visit www.urodoc.net or www.femaleurologyaz.blogspot.com/