Nymphoplasty (labia minora reduction)

Labia minora reduction aims at reconstructing sagging or too large (hypertrophy) labia minora in the area of the vulva.

The surgery consists in removing the excess part of the labia minora.

As a plastic surgeon in Paris, Doctor Santini performs this procedure. She will listen to you and advise you. Do not hesitate to express your complexes during the consultation. The surgeon is here to listen and to advise you in order to figure out a solution to your intimate complexes.

What is a nymphoplasty?

It is a surgery aiming at reducing too large labia minora, unsightly or annoying during sexual intercourse or to dress up.

Reduction nymphoplasty consists in removing in an appropriate way fibro mucosa excess in the area of the labia minora.

What does the procedure implies?

It is usually carried out under general anaesthesia but a local anaesthesia with sedation can also be performed.

The operation usually lasts about 45 minutes and is carried out in an ambulatory facility (you arrive on the morning of the surgery and return home on the very same day).

Minor pains after the surgery are well balanced by the usual pain-killers.

Personal hygiene with water and soap is advised for after urination during the first week in order to favour healing.

Stitches are dissolvable and suppressed by the body in about 15 days.

You will need to stop working during 3 to 4 days.

Sports, tight clothing, baths and sexual intercourse are contraindicated during 3 weeks.

When will the result be visible?

The result is immediate, but a local oedema of the labia minora, more or less important, appears during about 3 weeks.

The final result can be appreciated about 2 months after the operation.

What is labia minora hypertrophy?

The hypertrophy of the labia minora is recognized when they are over 4 cm. They can however be annoying (unsightly or during sexual intercourse) even if they are less than 4 cm. It is a personal feeling which cannot be generalized for every woman.

What are the risks?

Any operation carries a risk of complications, even if they are extremely rare (bruising, infection, disjunction...).

Respecting the instructions of the surgeon and the follow-up consultations is essential to avoid and/or detect any complication as early as possible.

Doctor Santini personally follows up the patients and listens to their questions about the follow-up.

Is there an age limit for this operation?

No. The operation can be carried out on women of all ages. It does not affect giving birth or sexual intercourse.

Before the procedure

Two consultations with your plastic surgeon with at least 15 days between each are mandatory before the operation. Medical photographies are always taken during these consultations.

Any drug which could favour bleeding after surgery is stopped 10 days before the surgery: aspirin, anticoagulants, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

You will need to stop working during 2 to 7 days, depending on your profession.

The operation is usually carried out under general anaesthesia but a local anaesthesia with sedation can also be performed. It lasts less than one hour.

A loco-regional anaesthesia (rachis anaesthesia) or a local anaesthesia are also possible and can avoid general anaesthesia.

A local anaesthesia in the area of the lips is always performed in order to reduce pain after surgery.

The procedure

The operation consists in removing the excess of mucosa in the area of the labia minora. The excess is removed along the lip. The stitches are hidden deep and the scar is invisible. The lip keeps a very natural aspect. Parting of the suture is very rare and, if it happens, consequences are minor because the lip will heal spontaneously.

The best technique is the triangular one, consisting in removing a triangle from the back half of the lip. The folds of the lip are preserved and the scar hidden between the labia minora and the labia majora. Same colour of the labia minora after the stitches, same thickness on the whole length and preservation of the natural folds of the lip.

Depending on the circumstances, the longitudinal technique can also be used.

After the procedure

The follow-up causes little pain.

However, it can be painful to walk during the first days after the operation.

Hospitalization usually lasts a few hours, you arrive on the morning of the surgery and you return home on the very same day. Stitches are dissolvable and disappear in 10 to 15 days. There is no dressing, only cleansing with tap water (shower) and soap. The area needs to be well dried in order to avoid maceration. Underwear is enough to cover the sutures. Trousers are advised against during the first week in order to avoid maceration.

The lips need to be cleaned every time you go to the toilets.

Sexual intercourse are possible 4 to 6 weeks after the operation, when healing is satisfying.

The final result can be appreciated after 3 months, when the oedema has disappeared and the labia minora are thin and supple again. Like any scar on the body, the evolution can take from 6 to 12 months and redness and induration are common during 2 to 3 months.
Healing of the mucuous membranes of the vulva is often excellent and the scars usually disappear after 1 to 2 months.