Vaginoplasty

Vaginoplasty: Complete Guide to Vaginal Rejuvenation Surgery

Vaginoplasty is a surgical procedure designed to tighten the vaginal canal and restore its function and appearance. It usually addresses women with indications of vaginal loosening due to factors involving childbirth, old age, and others. The aesthetic appearance can also be enhanced and is often combined with other cosmetic vaginal surgeries like labiaplasty for complete vaginal rejuvenation.

What is Vaginoplasty?

Vaginoplasty is a surgical procedure that includes tightening the canal and muscles of the vagina with reconstruction and beautification purposes. The main reasons women would want this procedure are, first of all, the loss of tightness within the vagina due to aging, childbirth, or trauma. Vaginoplasty aims to return the muscles of the vagina to their earlier strength and elasticity while bringing functional and aesthetic benefits.

Vaginoplasty also applies in gender confirmation surgery among transgender women. It involves the construction of a functional vagina through the use of tissue from other parts of the body.

Who is the Best Candidate for Vaginoplasty?

Vaginoplasty is ideally meant for women distressed by the looseness of their vaginal canal. Common candidates include:

After Childbirth: In vaginal delivery, the muscles are stretched and weakened, making one feel loose.
Aging Women: It is a natural process that when one grows older, tissues and muscles around the vagina will also lose elasticity to some extent, which can lead to decreased sexual function and satisfaction.
Transgender Female: Vaginoplasty is a surgical gender affirmation for transgender women to make their bodies align with their identified gender.
Women Looking to Enhance Appearance: Vaginoplasty is also performed on some women to cosmetically enhance the look of their vagina or correct any anomalies, including prolapse.
The ideal candidates for vaginoplasty are those patients who can maintain good health, anticipate a realistic outcome from the surgery, and do not smoke.

The Surgical Procedure involved in Vaginoplasty

Vaginoplasty can be performed under general anesthesia or local anesthesia with sedation. The length of time the surgery may take can be any amount of time from 1 to 2 hours, based on how complex the surgery is. Basic steps involved in Vaginoplasty include the following:

Incision: The surgeon makes small incisions along the wall of the vagina, according to the specific areas that need tightening.
Tightening of the Muscles and Tissues: Suturing of the muscles closer will tighten it. Remove the excess lining of the vagina and reshape the tissues around to restore elasticity and tone.

Reconstruction-if required: Creation of neovagina is done in transgender women who have undergone vaginoplasty for gender confirmation surgery using grafting of skin, usually from penile tissue or other parts of the body.
Closure: The incisions are stapled shut with dissolvable sutures, and the area is dressed to foster healing.

Recovery After Vaginoplasty

Vaginoplasty recovery generally takes some weeks. You will find some discomfort, swelling, and bruising right after the surgery; however, it generally resolves after a few days. During this recovery period, follow your surgeon's post-operative care instructions in detail for optimal healing. The following are included:
Rest: Refrain from lifting heavy weights and doing strenuous work for at least 4-6 weeks.
Hygiene: Keep the vagina clean and dry to prevent infection. Change dressings according to instructions provided.
Sexual Activity: Sexual intercourse is best avoided for roughly 6-8 weeks until tissues are totally healed.
Comfort Measures: Mild pain can be treated with over-the-counter pain medicines or prescribed pain relief medication.
Most patients are able to return to work and light activities in 1-2 weeks, although complete healing will take several months.

Benefits of Vaginoplasty

There are numerous physical, emotional, and sexual benefits with vaginoplasty. These include:

Tightness of the Vagina: One of the most important benefits is vaginal tightness, which may be restored. 
Improved Confidence: Vaginoplasty enhances confidence in the body and improves the overall personality of most women, primarily those who had previously been displeased with the appearance or function of their vaginal area.
Improved Pelvic Floor Muscle Control: Tightening the vaginal muscles assists in alleviating issues such as incontinence by enhancing pelvic floor functioning.
Aesthetic Appealing: Sometimes performed along with other corrective surgeries such as labiaplasty, vaginoplasty has the ability to restore a more youthful and cosmetically appealing appearance to the vagina.
Gender Affirmation: Vaginoplasty is a very important aspect of gender confirmation to transgender women in relation to feeling more inclined toward their gender identity.

Vaginoplasty vs. Other Vaginal Rejuvenation Procedures

While vaginoplasty focuses on tightening the vaginal muscles and tissues, there are other non-surgical or minimally invasive options for vaginal rejuvenation that may be available. These include:

Laser Vaginal Tightening: This is a non-invasive laser technology treatment that works by exciting collagen production in the tissues of the vagina, hence causing mild tightening and rejuvenation. It requires very little to no downtime. 
Radiofrequency Therapy: A nonsurgical technique using radiofrequency waves, which heat the tissues of the vagina to help promote tightening and increased blood flow. Just like laser treatments, radiofrequency therapy is also non-invasive and typically does not require recovery time.
Vaginoplasty gives more extreme and long-lasting results than non-surgical alternatives, especially for women looking to experience massive tightening or who have suffered extreme cases of vaginal laxity.

Cost of Vaginoplasty

The price for vaginoplasty can be all over the place depending on several factors, which include but are not limited to the following: experience of the surgeon, complexity of the surgery, and location. On average, it may start from around $5,000 to as high as $12,000. This price generally covers all fees by the surgeon, anesthesia, and facility charges.

This depends on the insurance policy; some of them may consider this surgery, provided that the surgical operation can be medically justified, such as when transgender women undergo a type of vaginoplasty as part of their gender confirmation surgery.

Conclusion:

Vaginoplasty surgery helps women restore tightness, function, and appearance in their vaginal area. The causation could be after childbirth, aging, or gender affirmation; whatever may be the reason for undergoing the surgery, it provides a number of physical and emotional benefits that help in improving the quality of life. Under the skillful hands of a fine surgeon, such patients can enjoy natural-appearing outcomes that offer them more confidence and better sexual satisfaction.