Women are spending more than $10,000 on intimate surgery but one Australian doctor warns the growing trend of so-called “designer vaginas” comes with risks.
Demand for female genital cosmetic surgery is rising, with labiaplasty the most common procedure, specialist plastic surgeon Dr Brigid Corrigan told 7NEWS.com.au.
Corrigan cautioned that women need accurate information before deciding to go under the knife.
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The WA-based surgeon explained the procedure reduces or reshapes the labia (the skin surrounding the vaginal opening) and can cost about $10,000.
“Women come to me for the labiaplasty usually for a mixture of reasons, including both functional and aesthetic problems,” Corrigan told 7NEWS.com.au.
“A lot of women will say they’ve got discomfort maybe with exercise or with wearing particular clothes, like jeans or swimwear.
“But others will also report not liking the appearance.”
‘It’s important for women to understand what’s normal’
Corrigan said she has been performing the procedure at her practice for the last 15 years.
While it is not the most common type of surgery she performs, with breast reconstruction making up the largest part of her practice, she said demand for genital cosmetic surgery has increased over the past five years.
She believes the rise is partly due to greater discussion of these procedures on social media, which has made more women aware of the surgery.
“It’s important for women to understand what’s normal and there’s a huge range of normal,” Corrigan said.
“So I always start from that standpoint when women come in for their initial consultation.
“Social media, and even things like Brazilian waxing, have made the general area much more visible, it’s made people start to ask the question: ‘Is that normal down there?’
“Women are more informed today.”
Complications can have long-term affects
Corrigan warned complications can have long-term consequences and misconceptions about what is “normal” are often fuelled by social media.
While awareness of genital cosmetic surgery has grown in recent years, Corrigan said stigma still surrounds discussions about women’s genital health and appearance.
“It’s important that women have accurate information and that they’re doing it for the right reasons because sometimes, particularly on social media, you can get a bit of a skewed idea about what’s normal,” Corrigan said.
“There’s a pretty big range of normal when it comes to women’s genital area.
“So unless you personally have concerns, then my message would be there’s no need to be doing anything.”
Surgery to relieve pain but also for aesthetic reasons
The procedure is most commonly performed to alleviate physical discomfort, such as irritation from tight clothing or exercise, although some women choose to undergo it for aesthetic reasons.
Corrigan warned that, while labiaplasty is often perceived as a straightforward procedure, it carries significant risks if not performed correctly.
“One of the really important things, like any plastic surgery procedure, I’ve also seen complications of women coming through who’ve had it done by surgeons who didn’t necessarily have the correct surgical qualifications,” Corrigan said.
“It can go wrong and there can be significant complications.
“The biggest one we see is where surgeons remove too much of the tissue — this is very hard to fix and it can cause significant long-term problems like chronic pain and hypersensitivity in the area.
“It’s difficult to correct that because once that tissue’s gone, it’s very hard to restore.
“It’s really important to see someone who has correct surgical training and qualifications, and knows what they’re doing.
“It can be thought of as a relatively straightforward procedure but, if it’s not done right, it can have significant long-term problems.”
Corrigan advised that anyone who has gone through plastic and reconstructive surgery training with the College of Surgeons has got the appropriate skills and knowledge to do the labiaplasty procedure.
Corrigan said the procedure can be performed under general anaesthetic and typically takes about an hour, with recovery taking up to six weeks.
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