Polski
The first question that arises in the office is the one about the accompanying discomforts of labia hypertrophy – not only physical, but also of a psychological nature. My youngest patient was 17 years old – she struggled a lot with learning and with focusing, because she just found it hard to sit. She came with her mother, who also consented to the operation. Of course, the three of us discussed everything very thoroughly beforehand. My oldest patient, on the other hand, was in her 70s – after many years, she decided to fight the discomfort that had accompanied her for so long. Almost any time is a good time to consider the decision to have labioplasty and help yourself – says Dr. Dawid Lisiecki, a specialist in obstetrics and gynecology.
Table of Contents:
- Is the indication for labioplasty primarily discomfort?
- So can any person undergo labioplasty?
- How do women find out about this solution, about the possibility of a labioplasty?
- Where do patients come to you from? Mostly from Lodz or also from other parts of Poland?
- Is it also possible to have an online consultation, such as the first one, before deciding on a long trip?
- Let’s assume that the woman is already after the procedure – what is the question of, for example, returning to work and at least sitting? Do we feel pain?
- A traumatic event for many women, including in terms of the appearance of the reproductive organs, is childbirth. What to look for after childbirth and when to consider labioplasty?
- So it’s also about self-acceptance.
- Do you notice an increase in the popularity of labioplasty by the fact that we are becoming more open, for example, about our sexuality virtually everywhere, including social media?
- Are there alternatives to labioplasty? If so, which ones?
Editor: Is the indication for labioplasty primarily discomfort?
Dr. Lisiecki: Labial hypertrophy, which is an indication for labioplasty, can cause big problems. Patients have developed ways of coping over the years and, for example, before they sit down to work in front of the computer, they arrange their labia in such a way beforehand on the toilet that they are not disturbed. 99% of patients consider labioplasty precisely because of serious problems, often dragging on for years – problems in intercourse, during sports or simply in daily functioning. I would like to emphasize that there are no bad indications here. Both pain and mental discomfort are equally important problems to solve. I can only tell the patient if there are any contraindications to the procedure. There is also no such thing as too long a lip. That’s not for me to decide – it’s a very individual feeling. There are patients who objectively have a large hypertrophy of the labia and it never occurred to them to operate, and there are ladies who have an insignificant hypertrophy, but it is a tragedy for them.
Editor: So can any person undergo labioplasty? – Dr. Dawid Lisiecki
Dr. Lisiecki: The contraindications are, of course, m. in. ongoing menstruation, pregnancy, active cancer – because healing puts additional strain on the body. There are also psychological issues involved, such as the fact that the decision to have surgery is forced on another person. A contraindication, is also suspected dysmorphophobia – a disorder that causes us to perceive our own body in a false way. Instead of helping, we can then do harm. I also do not, with few exceptions, operate on minors – it is important that a woman achieve sexual awareness before deciding on labioplasty.
Editor: How do women find out about this solution, about the possibility of a labioplasty?
Dr. Lisiecki: We have a growing awareness that it is not necessary or worthwhile to be held hostage to one’s own body, even if it is only a small part. That’s why we start looking – mostly on the Internet, but patients also get information from their friends. They have a problem they have been facing for a long time, and they come across a person who has dealt with it. We simply talk more and more about our ailments, including from the intimate zone – including with our partners, we are increasingly aware of what our sex life can look like and we are not ashamed of it. This is a very positive change from what it was years ago
Editor: Where do female patients come to you from? Mostly from Lodz or also from other parts of Poland?
Dr. Lisiecki: Mostly from Lodz and other towns in the Lodz province, for geographical reasons, of course. On the other hand, they also come even from distant regions and cities, such as Szczecin, Koszalin and Lublin. There is also a large group of patients who fly in from abroad where they have lived for years, but have more confidence in doctors in Poland.
Editor: Is it also possible to have an online consultation, such as the first one, before deciding on a long trip?
Dr. Lisiecki: Yes, in a moment there will be such an opportunity on my website. This will be a pre-consultation option on. The course of the procedure, convalescence, determination of the date. During such a consultation, everything can be discussed thoroughly and in detail, and doubts can be dispelled, which is hugely important in the decision-making process for labioplasty.
Editor: Let’s assume that the woman is already after the procedure – what is the issue of, for example, returning to work and at least sitting? Do we feel pain?
Dr. Lisiecki: Usually, if the patient feels pain, it is only on the first or second day after the procedure. As a precaution, of course, I prescribe painkillers. Do not expect a lot of pain after the procedure – I use tools that do not traumatize the tissue, everything is done with great gentleness. After the procedure itself, you can get in the car and drive home on your own. I, however, always recommend lying at home for two-three days after the procedure, let the body recover, rest, air the wound. I do not recommend immediately returning to work and sitting on a healing wound for 8 hours. So please set a date that will not interfere with work.
Editor: A traumatic event for many women, including in terms of the appearance of the reproductive organs, is childbirth. What to look for after childbirth and when to consider labioplasty?
Dr. Lisiecki: The labia minora during childbirth, for example, can rupture. If the fracture is supplied in a way that is not quite right or efficient, secondary asymmetry may develop. The lips, due to swelling or hormonal issues, may also be larger. After confinement, which is a minimum of 6 weeks, they may remain larger than before delivery. It’s not just a matter of childbirth, of course – I once did a labioplasty on a woman who was so swollen after a car accident that her labia stretched mechanically through the swelling.
Going back to pregnancy – the appearance of the labia also depends on the weight gain at the time, whether the woman was physically active, what the venous drainage was. Some pregnant women suffer from severe edema – this is due to the pressure of the pregnant uterus on the veins and the runoff is worse, so water is retained mainly in the lower part of the body. Labioplasty can be discussed after a time of 6 months or so, we need to give the body time to heal.
Editor: So it’s also about self-acceptance.
Dr. Lisiecki: Yes, of course, labioplasty can change lives in a very big way – in terms of daily life, sex life, improving satisfaction with it, as well as just accepting one’s own body. After the operation, we can start living a normal life, wearing what we like and not taking actions that made our lives miserable.
Editor: Do you notice an increase in the popularity of labioplasty by the fact that we are becoming more open, for example, about our sexuality virtually everywhere, including social media?
Dr. Lisiecki: This is certainly the case. Mainly, Instagram – a quick flip through of more messages – causes that even someone who hasn’t heard about the possibility of labioplasty, comes because he noticed that something might be “wrong” with him, comes to check it out, inspect it and perhaps solve a problem that has been with him for a long time, or perhaps just improve self-esteem.
Editor: Are there alternatives to labioplasty? If so, which ones?
Dr. Lisiecki: Sometimes it is the case that the labia minora are overshadowed by the labia majora, and when the patient begins, for example, to exercise intensively the fat pads in the labia majora shrink, these simply “skim” and expose the labia minora. It may be that there is an apparent hypertrophy of the labia minora and no reduction surgery is then needed. Then we can perform labia majora filling – either with our own fat, if available, or with hyaluronic acid. In women whose hypertrophy is subtle, we sometimes perform shrinking, such as with a laser.
