Labiaplasty, a controversial cosmetic op that involves shortening or reshaping the vaginal lips, is safe and can boost women’s metal health, experts say.
Demand for labiaplasty, which can cost upwards of £4,000 in the UK, is booming with data from US showing the number of ops carried out has increased 200 per cent between 2012 and 2017.
Experts have pinned rising interest in the op, which reduces the size of the labia minora— the skin either side of the vaginal opening — on increased exposure to a particular anatomy seen in pornography.
To meet demand techniques using lasers and scalpels have been developed to perform the op, but experts say these methods haven’t been assessed in terms of outcomes and complications.
But now, the largest review of women who underwent a procedure, carried out by Hungarian researchers, shows not only is it safe, it has a positive impact on women’s psychological health.
Demand for labiaplasty, which can cost upwards of £4,000 in the UK, is booming with data from US showing the number of ops carried out has increased 200 per cent between 2012 and 2017
However, they cautioned that unnecessary labiaplasty should be avoided.
The review, by experts from Semmelweis University in Budapest, examined data from 3,600 women who underwent labiaplasty and found it was, overall, very safe with a complication rate of just 0.5 per cent.
For comparison, some UK studies have found cosmetic ops like breast augmentation have a complication rate of about five per cent, though figures vary by study.
Using a scalpel was found to have a higher risk of complications like bleeding, swelling or haematoma, the medical term for a collection of blood in the body.
However, the authors said that the overall difference between the techniques, in terms of total number of complications, wasn’t statistically significant.
But a significant finding was that 95 per cent of women who underwent the operation were satisfied with the results.
Mihály András Géczi an expert in obstetrics and gynaecology from Semmelweis, and first author of the study said: ‘Our results demonstrate that labiaplasty is generally safe and ends up with high patient satisfaction rates.’
Fellow author, Levente Sára a fellow expert in obstetrics and gynaecology of Semmelweis, said data also supported some aspects of the op improving women’s mental health.
‘Considering the extent to which the procedure enhances self-image and sexual life, physicians may decide on psychological grounds as well,’ they said.
However, the authors added the medical justification for labiaplasty remains disputed and made more difficult by differing opinions on what constitutes ‘normal’ labia and what is just natural variation.
‘Women’s self-image is increasingly tied to perceptions of their genitalia, a trend that significantly influences relationship dynamics and psychological health,’ the authors noted.
Further complicating matters is that sometimes it’s not the women themselves who are seeking out the surgery independently.
Mr Sara said: ‘Many women, especially the young, choose to undergo the procedure at their partner’s suggestion’.
With demand for labiaplasty predicted to continue he said it was critical for medics to ensure patients are undergoing the op for the right reasons.
However, the authors added it was encouraging that, ethical issues surrounding the surgery aside, it seems to have good safety rating.
The authors, who published their findings in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal, also analysed data surrounding radiofrequency labiaplasty, which uses thermal energy to contract the labia.
They found it had lower recovery time, minimal risk of complications, and high patient satisfaction but noted the relative newness of the technique meant data on it was limited and this could change in the future.
Labiaplasty is available on the NHS but only under strict circumstances.
These include the labia being deformed as a result of a birth defect, to repair damage caused by childbirth or as part of removing cancerous tissue if a woman has vulval cancer.
