Surgery to Rejuvenate the Vagina
In the past, women who had physical sexual problems had no recourse but to accept their situation as a part of life. Fortunately, today advanced technology offers women rejuvenation surgery that can relieve a wide variety of sexual issues and one procedure offered by Dr. Paul McCluskey at The Plastic Surgery Institute of Atlanta is vaginal rejuvenation. Vaginoplasty is a surgical procedure that tightens and rebuilds the vaginal muscles and the perineum by removing excess vaginal lining while strengthening the surrounding soft tissues and muscles. Labiaplasty is a cosmetic genital surgical procedure that reduces the size or changes the shape of the small lips on the outside of the vagina known as the labia minora and a vaginal rejuvenation is the combined surgery of both a labiaplasty and a vaginoplasty. Vaginal rejuvenation tightens the muscles of the inside of the vaginal canal and the opening of the vagina and the procedure is performed surgically to not only enhance the appearance of the external female genitalia but to also improve its functions. There are many variations for the term “vaginal rejuvenation” however all the names mean the same thing for surgically altering and tightening the vaginal muscles and the two distinct surgeries described above can be performed at the same time yielding a cosmetically enhanced labia and a tightened vagina during one surgical operation.
Evaluation for Vaginal Rejuvenation
Candidates for vaginal rejuvenation surgery are women who have abnormalities of the vaginal opening and there are many factors that can cause damage to the vaginal muscles allowing them to stretch, tear, or weaken that include childbirth (especially multiple childbirths), genetic factors, hernias, weight loss or gain, a fallen bladder, as well as weakness or damage to the vaginal floor. Aging can also cause the stretching of the vaginal supportive tissue and any of these situations can cause a loss of sexual enjoyment or in some cases lead to urinary incontinence or leaking. Once vaginal relaxation has occurred, the vagina is no longer at its optimum physiological state and the muscles become lax causing the perineum to weaken which is the area immediately outside the vagina. Vaginal rejuvenation enhances the tone, control, and strength of the vaginal muscles and by tightening both the external and internal vaginal diameter: vaginoplasty strengthens the perineal area increasing female sexual gratification and pleasure. No one wants to lose optimal function anywhere on their body (including the vaginal and vulvar structures) and many women chose vaginal rejuvenation to repair the damage instead of accepting their vaginal abnormalities as a natural part of life.
Although sexual function is no longer considered a restricted topic for women, Dr. McCluskey understands that vaginal rejuvenation is a sensitive issue and he wants you to know that you can be confident he will combine discretion along with professional care and expertise. During your consultation, Dr. McCluskey will answer any questions or concerns you may have and he will help you determine what vaginal rejuvenation procedure or combination of options would work best for you. Dr. McCluskey understands that there is no “one-size-fits-all” patient and the surgical technique required for each individual patient varies depending upon the amount and type of vaginal relaxation found and various parts of the vagina can be affected to different degrees meaning each individual woman will have unique functional problems as a result.
The Vaginal Rejuvenation Procedure
There are different ways to perform vaginal rejuvenation and each procedure is based on the type of surgery being performed, the extent of the repair, as well as the goals and anatomy of the patient. Vaginal rejuvenation is typically an outpatient procedure that uses a local anesthesia with a pudendal block (nerve block to numb the entire vagina and vulva), IV sedation with pudendal, twilight with pudendal, epidural, or a general anesthesia. Vaginal rejuvenation can take 1-2 hours to complete depending on the extent of the vaginal relaxation and whether both the top (anterior) and bottom (posterior) walls/muscles need to be treated. Vaginal rejuvenation involves the rebuilding of the vaginal structures that support and contract the vagina while the muscle groups and support tissue around the vagina are tightened in purposeful steps to narrow the vaginal canal and opening and to enhance the contraction of the vaginal muscle groups.
Vaginal Rejuvenation Recovery
Upon completion of your vaginal surgery, you will be transferred to a recovery room for 1-2 hours before you are released into the custody of a family member or friend to take you home. Once you are home, instructions vary from patient-to-patient and most women experience mild swelling and minor discomfort which can be controlled with medication if necessary. Bed rest is recommended the day of surgery and you should plan on taking a few days off to relax and recover. Sex and strenuous activity will typically need to be avoided until Dr. McCluskey feels you have healed sufficiently and it should take no more than a few weeks to resume your normal life.
Your Vaginal Rejuvenation Surgery
Enjoying your sensuality is not only important to achieve physical gratification and pleasure: being happy with your sexual body also assures you of an overall healthy and well-balanced lifestyle that allows you to strengthen emotional bonds and participate in a natural passion that has existed since the beginning of mankind. One of the most common complaints women has after they experience vaginal relaxation is not being able to enjoy intercourse because it is either painful or their vagina is too “loose” so they have no sensation or embarrassing noises occur because of the abnormal “openness”. Many times they feel guilty because their partner has a difficult time “staying inside” and fortunately at The Plastic Surgery Institute of Atlanta, Dr. McCluskey offers vaginal rejuvenation for a quick and effective method to treat vaginal relaxation. If you want to learn more about this or any other cosmetic procedure offered at The Plastic Surgery Institute of Atlanta, please contact us today and we look forward to hearing from you.