Plastic surgery in the vaginal area is not a new procedure. It has been performed for decades to help patients with medical conditions like urinary incontinence due to weak vaginal muscles or uterine prolapse.
Recently female genital enhancement surgery has come into the forefront and as many as 15 purely cosmetic procedures are on the list at a Toronto-based clinic. Dr. Robert H. Stubbs has been pioneering in this particular area of plastic surgery. Women who lost a lot of weight frequently request pubic liposuction and reduction of the labia majora. Another procedure, vaginal tightening, involves stitching the muscles of the vaginal wall and creating a smaller circumference. Most of these surgeries are done in private clinics, which do not have to report to the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada. As a result no numbers are available, but these surgeries are definitely on the rise.
Probably the most controversial procedure of them all is the hymenoplasty. Dr. Bruce Allen, who recently incorporated cosmetic genital procedures into his gynecology practice, reports, that there is not a large demand for them. However, women from certain cultures turn to the physicians for help. In some groups of Middle Eastern descent the loss of virginity is considered a disgrace, and as a result the young female may be shunned and maybe even killed. When desperate women turn to the specialist for protection, they need help. In a safe and simple half hour procedure the ends of the ruptured membrane can be stitched together or patched with tissue from the vaginal wall.
Some flashy advertising for a Los Angeles based clinic promises good sex. What those billboards don’t tell is the fact that no scientific proof exists that any of these surgeries actually enhance sexual pleasure. Nevertheless patients have cited a better sex life as a very common bonus. The reason is the fact, that the patient is more comfortable with her body. Patients with relationship problems due to self-consciousness about the genital appearance will experience a sense of emotional relief as soon as the procedure is over.
Vaginal Reconstructive Surgery Helps Body Image
Dr. Stubbs also noted, that vaginal enhancement procedures are no different from any other type of cosmetic surgery. It is the job of the specialist to explain the risks, after which the woman can make an informed decision.
More information about pelvic floor laxity leading to anterior or posterior repairs including hysterectomies: http://nethealthbook.com/gynecology-obstetrics/
Reference: National Review Of Medicine, January 30, 2006, Pages 1 and 5
Last edited October 30, 2014
