Though the appearance of women’s vaginas vary widely, you may prefer to reduce discomfort and enhance your confidence during intimate moments. If your vagina makes you feel overly self-conscious about your body, you have the option to correct it surgically with procedures such as labiaplasty, clitoral hood reduction, and vaginoplasty.
The terms you may hear used to describe this collection of procedures include genital cosmetic surgery, vaginal rejuvenation, and designer vagina surgery.
Before we discuss the subject, let’s break down what labiaplasty entails.
What Is a Labiaplasty, and How Does It Work?
Labiaplasty removes excess labial tissue and provides a symmetrical appearance throughout your most private part. You may seek this surgery if you are self-conscious about one of your vaginal lips being longer than the other. More frequently, Dr. Mussat’s patients request to reduce the size of both labia so they no longer cause physical or emotional discomfort. There are also hygienic reasons to consider labia surgery. Many women get this procedure as part of a mommy makeover, but it can also be an excellent stand-alone solution.
To perform labiaplasty, Dr. Mussat excises unwanted labial tissue. She employs two primary techniques to do so.
- Trim method: Dr. Mussat removes excess labial skin from the outer edge and closes the incision with sutures. A notable benefit of this method is that the labia may appear pinker after surgery, which is an ideal aesthetic outcome for some patients. However, there may be a greater chance of a decrease or loss of labial sensitivity with this technique.
- Wedge method: Dr. Mussat removes a V-shaped wedge from the labia, preserving the outer edges and natural shape. Nevertheless, there may be an increased chance of wound separation during recovery.
During your consultation, Dr. Mussat will help you decide which method suits your unique needs and cosmetic goals.
Combining a Clitoral Hoodectomy With a Labiaplasty
Some women add other genital cosmetic procedures, including a clitoral hood reduction, to their labiaplasty to create a more balanced appearance. Dr. Mussat can perform these procedures in the same operation, so you only need one surgery with less recovery time.
A clitoral hoodectomy is a surgical procedure to remove extra skin around the clitoris. Besides improving the look of your vagina and clitoris, taking away the “hood” can allow you to experience more sexual stimulation.
Dr. Mussat may recommend adding a clitoral hoodectomy to your labiaplasty if your labia minora are too long and you have unwanted skin around your clitoral area.
What Is Clitoral Hood Reduction?
Clitoral hood reduction surgery, also known as clitoropexy, is a procedure to reduce excess skin folds around the clitoris to improve vaginal aesthetics and enhance sexual satisfaction.
Women who opt for labiaplasty and clitoral hood reduction are self-conscious about their vaginal appearance or experience discomfort because of an enlarged clitoral hood. Some women choose the procedures because they don’t like the protruding, uneven lips or excess clitoral hood. Others prefer the reduction because they experience pain during sexual intercourse or when doing activities like riding a bicycle or inserting a tampon.
Vaginal rejuvenation procedures are gaining popularity among women who find their vaginas have changed due to pregnancy, childbirth, and aging. While there is an understandable cosmetic benefit to this surgery, there are also several practical reasons women choose this procedure. Most women don’t expect an “ideal” vagina. Instead, their primary motivation is to feel more confident in intimate moments, at the beach, or when changing clothes and showering in the locker room of their gym.
How Does Vaginoplasty Enhance Labiaplasty Results?
Vaginoplasty is a reconstructive procedure to treat various medical issues, including vaginal injury due to childbirth and pelvic floor disease complications. It can improve sexual function and congenital deformities that affect vaginal development.
Labiaplasty for What You See
A labiaplasty specifically addresses the labia minora and majora, also called the vaginal lips. Women sometimes experience large, distended, or asymmetrical labia from birth, although the area can also commonly become distorted after childbirth, accidents, or aging. Stretched or dangling labia can be physically unattractive, uncomfortable under clothing, and may pinch or pull during sexual intercourse.
To perform a labiaplasty, Dr. Mussat will remove excess tissue from the labia minora or majora. She will sculpt the labia to an aesthetically pleasing shape, then place absorbable sutures for proper healing. The labiaplasty procedure takes less than an hour; patients return home the same afternoon. Patients may notice some soreness or discomfort after their procedure but can return to normal activities within a few days. Please postpone sexual activity for four to six weeks until the area has fully healed.
Vaginoplasty for What You Feel
Vaginoplasty tightens lax vaginal muscles and tissues. In addition, the procedure can correct lost tone and tension due to childbirth, trauma, disease, or normal aging.
The vaginoplasty procedure begins with the removal of the excess vaginal lining. Dr. Mussat will then tighten the remaining muscles and soft tissue. Next, sutures bundle the muscles together and narrow the vaginal opening. As an outpatient procedure, vaginoplasty will take about an hour to perform under anesthesia. Recovery will take about a week, but patients should wait four to six weeks before resuming sexual activity.
What Are the Benefits of Combining Multiple Vaginal Rejuvenation Procedures?
Combining cosmetic and reconstructive vaginal procedures ensures multiple benefits. After a comprehensive vaginal rejuvenation, you can expect to enjoy the following advantages.
Increased Confidence
For women with oversized labia, the central issue is low self-esteem. Vaginal reconstructive surgery can minimize self-consciousness, boost confidence in your appearance, and increase clothing choices.
Comfort in Clothing
Wearing tight leggings, a bikini, or yoga pants can be challenging with oversized labia. If you’re concerned about visible lines or bulges, a vaginoplasty prevents those problems, helping you feel physically and emotionally comfortable, no matter the outfit you choose to wear.
Increased Sexual Pleasure
Similar to your outfits, your embarrassment can affect sexual pleasure. In addition, many women with protruding vaginal lips experience physical discomfort during intercourse. Correcting visible and exposed tissue will prevent these issues and improve sexual confidence, making intimacy more enjoyable and comfortable.
Less Discomfort
The inner labia are delicate and, when exposed, quickly become irritated from tight clothing or sexual activity. In addition, exercising and other daily activities can be unpleasant as exposed tissue may pinch, twist, or chafe. Vaginoplasty will remove the excess tissue help you enjoy everyday activities.
Improved Hygiene and Health
Excess tissue can harbor bacteria and make hygiene more challenging. If oversized inner labia interrupt urine flow, you may experience painful and dangerous urinary tract infections. Having a labiaplasty reduces the risk of UTIs and other health concerns.
Is it Safe to Have Multiple Vaginal Rejuvenation Procedures at Once?
Women often combine multiple vaginal rejuvenation procedures into one surgery, which has the benefit of requiring one recovery period and downtime and reducing the overall price compared to having each procedure separately.
Vaginal rejuvenation can be an umbrella term involving multiple procedures that enhance your intimate appearance, function, and comfort. Dr. Mussat can simultaneously take care of several issues you may have.
Women consider feminine rejuvenation for several reasons. Some wish to appear younger and refreshed, while others seek vaginal rejuvenation for repair, improved comfort, enhanced sexual pleasure, and renewed confidence. Regardless of your concerns, they are valid.
Not all vaginal rejuvenation treatments and providers are the same. An experienced, trained surgeon like Dr. Mussat is the best choice for such a delicate surgery.
Face Your Femininity Head On
Women should never feel embarrassed or physically uncomfortable due to unusually shaped or enlarged labia. With vaginal rejuvenation, female plastic surgeon Dr. Mussat can shape your labia and provide a symmetrical look to reduce your pain and allow you to embrace your femininity and enjoy your sex life.
To schedule a private consultation with Dr. Mussat in Chicago and learn more about the aesthetic and physical benefits of labiaplasty, labiaplasty cost, and more, contact us by calling (312) 751-9000 today.
Breast revision surgery involves multiple options and surgical techniques, which may confuse some patients trying to find the correct procedure to adjust to lifestyle changes or resolve an issue with existing implants. As a breast surgery expert and board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon, Dr. Florence Mussat is familiar with the complex nuances of cosmetic breast surgery. Perhaps more importantly, as a woman, she understands the importance of choosing the right operation.
Two of the most common breast revision surgeries are implant removal with a breast lift and a 1:1 implant exchange. Read on to learn which is better for your aesthetic goals and lifestyle needs.
What Is Implant Removal With Lift, and How Is It Different From Implant Exchange?
Implant removal, or explant surgery, aims to prioritize patient safety. Dr. Mussat can restore your breasts’ original shape by adding a lift to the procedure. For medical and cosmetic assurances, completely removing the implants is critical, especially for women at high risk of experiencing health problems associated with their implants.
Why Add a Lift?
If you’ve had breast implants for years, the overlying breast tissue may have weakened, causing your breasts to flatten or droop. Sagging breasts, medically known as ptosis, may result from pregnancy, breastfeeding, weight fluctuations, or the natural aging process.
Removing your implants will diminish your breasts’ size and fullness, leading to significant sagging and skin laxity. A lift may be necessary to restore aesthetics, either at the same time as breast implant removal or in another surgery.
What Is Implant Exchange?
As its name indicates, a breast implant exchange involves removing one set of implants and replacing them with another. Dr. Mussat uses breast revision surgery to help women suffering from complications of a previous augmentation or because they’re unhappy with the size of their existing implants and would like to replace them with smaller or larger ones.
Whatever the reason, Dr. Mussat has extensive experience in primary and secondary breast revision surgeries and can address your concerns following a breast augmentation.
What Happens During an Implant Removal With Lift?
When performing a capsulectomy, Dr. Mussat must separate the capsule from the surrounding tissues while the breast implant is still inside. This meticulous and delicate process allows her to remove the entire unit through a vertical incision from the lower breast crease to the areola. This procedure ensures no part of the implant or fluid within the capsule comes in contact with your body. Plus, Dr. Mussat’s method preserves the glandular tissue in your breasts. No drains are necessary.
During a breast lift, Dr. Mussat will use the same incisions to elevate your breasts and achieve a well-contoured and appealing look. Her procedure uses your tissue to create an internal bra to support your breasts. Next, she removes excess breast skin, tightening and reshaping what remains. Finally, she will reposition the nipples to be higher on your breasts. If necessary, Dr. Mussat will trim down your areolas to make them smaller and more proportional to your breasts.
Breast Implant Removal With Lift Recovery
For the first few days after your capsulectomy explantation and breast lift, Dr. Mussat recommends you get plenty of sleep and relaxation to give your body maximum energy for your body to heal.
Dr. Mussat may place small tubes in the incisions. These are for draining blood and excess fluid to help prevent hematomas and seromas. She will remove these tubes within a few days. Because the sutures are dissolvable, you won’t need them removed during your follow-up visit.
For two weeks, avoid high-intensity activities, including bending and heavy lifting. You don’t want any strain on your surgical sites, sutures, and incisions. Eating nutritious foods and drinking plenty of water are crucial for a successful recovery.
Sleep on your side or your back to take undue pressure off your breasts and increase your recovery rate. Dr. Mussat will give you a surgical support bra to wear 24/7 for at least four days. She may ask you to apply silicone gel or tape to your incisions to help in the healing process and reduce your downtime.
During the initial stages of your recovery, avoid exposing your breasts to sunlight. If you need to go outside, liberally apply sunscreen liberally to the area. Please do not go on long trips for the first few weeks after the procedure. You will need to get up and move every few hours. Staying immobile for long periods increases the chance of developing deep vein thrombosis.
What Does an Implant Exchange Entail?
Revision breast surgery is much like your original breast augmentation procedure. It’s an outpatient surgery requiring general anesthesia.
If medically appropriate, Dr. Mussat will use the original incision sites for the revision procedure. Next, she will remove your implants – according to your surgical plan, she will substitute new ones or proceed without replacements. Next, she’ll re-close the implant pocket using internal sutures before closing the incisions with external sutures. Dr. Mussat then dresses the breasts with soft bandages and a compression bra over the top. This surgical bra minimizes swelling and supports the tissues during the healing process.
As with the primary procedure, some of the aesthetic effects of revision breast surgery are noticeable immediately following the operation. However, the full results become apparent after a few months, when the new implants settle into their natural position, swelling subsides, and your body heals completely.
Breast Implant Exchange Recovery
Healing from a breast implant exchange is similar to recovering from the initial breast augmentation. However, the side effects might be more pronounced, as secondary surgical procedures are typically more complex.
You may experience moderate to significant discomfort during the first four or five days following the revision procedure. The treated area might be bruised, tender, swollen, or numb. You can relieve these symptoms by applying cold packs and taking oral pain meds as directed by Dr. Mussat. In addition, you could experience changes in nipple sensitivity, including a tingling sensation, temporary or permanent numbness.
If you’ve undergone revision breast surgery, expect to take at least a week away from your work or daily routine. During this downtime, you should rest often and avoid direct breast stimulation and any rigorous activity, like heavy lifting. Dr. Mussat will advise when you can resume your usual activities, including your exercise routine.
What Are the Benefits of Implant Removal With Lift vs. Implant Exchange?
If you have your implants removed without replacement and get a breast lift, you will enjoy multiple positive outcomes. Here are some lifestyle benefits you can expect from implant removal with a lift:
- Mammograms are clearer.
- You will not have the discomfort associated with capsular contracture.
- You’ll enjoy less neck, back, and shoulder pain.
- Removing ruptured implants can improve your health outcomes.
- Your breasts will have a more uplifted contour, with youthful-looking nipples.
- You can exercise more comfortably.
Conversely, if you’ve decided to exchange your implants for newer, more advanced devices, here are the potential advantages of that choice:
- A change in breast size – from smaller to larger, and vice versa
- A more age-appropriate breast appearance
- Fuller breasts for better0fitting clothing
- Resolve the effects weight fluctuation or pregnancy has had on your breasts
Which Option Is Right for You? Factors to Consider Before Making a Decision
When your current implants cause issues with your health, appearance, or lifestyle, you must consider several factors to determine which procedure will serve you better.
Though breast augmentation remains one of the most popular cosmetic surgeries among women, lifts have become increasingly sought-after, especially among women who have had larger breasts due to implants.
Questions to ask yourself before deciding your breast surgery consultation include:
- Will I be happy with smaller breasts after removing the implants?
- Do my implants now seem excessive as I move into a different stage in my life?
- Do I value comfort over aesthetics or vice versa?
- Do my current implants prevent me from comfortably exercising?
Typically, women who choose a breast implant exchange enjoy the firmness and volume breast implants provide. They may be happy with their current size or wish to go larger, but don’t want to return to their natural breast size.
Women who decide to get implant removal with a lift no longer enjoy their implants for the reasons we’ve already touched on – discomfort when exercising, valuing comfort over aesthetics, or wanting their breasts to be perkier and sit higher on their chests.
Start Your Breast Transformation Here
Whether you need more information about breast surgery or already know what you want, call (312) 751-9000 or contact us online to improve your lifestyle and appearance with Dr. Mussat’s advanced techniques.
