Current Trends in Labiaplasty – The Edge vs. The Wedge

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Women seek labiaplasty for many reasons ranging from discomfort with intercourse and pinching in tight clothing to purely cosmetic reasons. According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery there has been a significant increase in the number of these tissue reduction and restructuring procedures — an astonishing 48 percent rise in 2014 from 2013. Workout gear is becoming tighter and women are becoming more self conscious about how they look in lycra enhanced tight clothing.

Although there are variations in technique and equipment used, labiaplasty most often involves reducing the size of one or both of the labia minora through one of two basic techniques. Both techniques attempt to preserve the nerves to the skin within the mucosa instead of simply removing it. In addition,  both techniques can be extended to reduce some of the excess clitoral hood.

The first technique is a straight-line (trim) excision. It reduces the excess tissue in straight line front to back. This technique is more straightforward and has the added benefit of reducing the unsightly thickened free border of the labia. There are variations on trim that include the Lazy-S Labiaplasty and the Extended Excision Labiaplasty.

The second most common technique is the wedge excision. It reduces a pie-shaped wedge of tissue from the central portion of the labia. The remaining tissue at the front and back is then brought together and closed. This technique preserves the free border, however, it is more complex and requires additional incisions to reduce the dog-ear that forms. There are variations to the original wedge resection including the the Z-Plasty Wedge Labiaplasty, the Hockey Stick Wedge Labiaplasty, and the DOVE (Double Opposing V-Plasty with Extended Deepithelizing) Wedge Labiaplasty.

The choice of technique is based on patient preference and is tailored by Dr. David Tauber to each patients needs. A detailed examination will help delineate the best surgical treatment.

Get more details on the management of swelling and scars in blog post: Post-Operative Care After Plastic Surgery.