Labiaplasty surgery, or labia reduction surgery, reduces and reshapes enlarged or uneven inner labia that cause chafing, irritation in sport or clothing, hygiene problems or distress over appearance. The operation takes an hour under local anesthesia with sedation, with dissolving stitches and a scar along the natural edge. At Biruni Hospital in Istanbul, we perform it for adult women after a private consultation, with a stay of four to six days.
About This Department
Plastic Surgery
Enlarged inner labia can chafe, twist in clothing and hurt during sport. Labiaplasty reduces them with a scar that hides along the natural edge.
Labiaplasty surgery, labia reduction surgery, reduces and reshapes the labia minora, the inner lips of the vulva, when their size or asymmetry causes discomfort, irritation, hygiene problems or distress over appearance. The operation takes an hour under local anesthesia with sedation, and the stitches dissolve. A systematic review of 19 studies covering 1,949 women found satisfaction rates of 94 to 100 percent across seven techniques, with wound separation the most common complication at 4.7 percent (Motakef and colleagues, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 2015). Labia vary widely in normal women, and a larger size alone is not a disease. We perform labiaplasty only for adult women who ask for it for their own reasons, after a private consultation. This page explains normal variation, reasons for surgery, who is suited, the techniques, clitoral hood reduction, risks, the operation day, recovery, results, and how patients from abroad arrange labiaplasty at Biruni Hospital in Istanbul.
94
Percent or more of women satisfied across seven labiaplasty techniques in a review of 1,949 patients
4.7
Percent wound separation, the most common complication after labiaplasty
86.2
Percent of women moderately or extremely satisfied with the functional result at six months
Free
Private review of your concerns by our plastic surgery team
Labiaplasty is a small operation on sensitive tissue. Precision matters more than speed.
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The operation
The surgeon removes excess tissue from one or both inner labia and closes the edges with fine dissolving stitches, keeping the natural color, contour and nerve supply of the remaining tissue.
A conservative reduction leaves enough tissue to protect the vaginal opening and keep normal sensation.
Labiaplasty can be combined with reduction of excess skin around the clitoral hood, so that the result looks balanced. It differs from vaginal tightening procedures, which address the inside of the vagina.
The outer labia
Surgery on the labia majora, the outer lips, reduces fullness or restores volume with fat and is a separate operation.
Normal variation
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Measured in healthy women
A London study measuring the external genitalia of 50 women found values spread widely for every dimension, unrelated to age, childbirth, ethnicity or hormones, and concluded that women should receive this information before considering surgery (Lloyd and colleagues, BJOG, 2005).
A simple classification of labial protrusion
Class
Inner labia compared with outer labia
Typical approach
Class 1
Do not extend beyond the outer labia
Reassurance
Class 2
Extend up to 2 centimeters beyond
Surgery only for symptoms or clear wish
Class 3
Extend more than 2 centimeters beyond
Labiaplasty often considered
Asymmetry
One side notably larger
Reduction of the larger side
A classification proposed in the 2015 systematic review measures how far the inner labia extend beyond the outer labia, which relates better to symptoms than their absolute size (Motakef and colleagues, 2015).
Images online
Edited images in media give a narrow and misleading picture of normal anatomy.
Normal is wide
Most women who consider labiaplasty have normal anatomy.
That does not make their discomfort or distress less real, and when the labia chafe during cycling or running, twist inside tight clothing, get caught during intimacy or cause daily self-consciousness that limits activities, a careful reduction can help. The decision should rest on accurate information on normal variation and on the woman's own wishes, free of pressure from a partner or from images that do not reflect real bodies.
We talk this through first.
Reasons women seek it
Most women give both physical and appearance-related reasons. Neither needs to be justified to us.
Common concerns before labiaplasty
Concern
Example
Effect of surgery
Physical discomfort
Chafing in sport, cycling, riding
Reduced in most women
Clothing
Visible outline in tight clothing or swimwear
Reduced
Hygiene
Irritation, difficulty cleaning
Reduced
Discomfort during intimacy
Tissue pulled or caught
Often improved
Appearance
Size or asymmetry
Genital appearance satisfaction improves
Some women have enlarged labia from birth, others after childbirth, hormonal change or weight change. Asymmetry between the two sides is common.
Who is suited
The ideal candidate has persistent physical symptoms or a clear, long-standing wish, a realistic idea of the result and good general health.
We perform cosmetic labiaplasty only for adults aged 18 or over, after growth and development are complete.
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Timing
Avoid planning surgery during pregnancy or in the months after childbirth. Tissue changes then settle over six months or more.
Checks before labiaplasty
Check
Why
Detail
Gynecological history
Exclude infection or skin disease
Examination, tests if needed
Smoking
Wound healing
Stop four weeks before and after
Psychological distress
Linked to lower satisfaction
Discussed openly, referral if helpful
Expectations
Realistic result
Photographs and explanation
Techniques
The review identified seven techniques, all with high satisfaction. The choice depends on the shape of the labia, the color of the edge and the patient's preference.
Main labiaplasty techniques
Technique
How it works
Consideration
Edge trim
Excess along the free edge is removed
Removes the darker edge, simple, predictable
Wedge resection
A V-shaped wedge is removed from the middle
Keeps the natural edge, small risk of separation
Deepithelialization
Surface removed, tissue folded inward
For small reductions, preserves bulk
Z-plasty or W-plasty
Zigzag closure
Reduces scar contracture
Clitoral hood reduction
Excess folds of skin beside the clitoral hood can remain prominent after the inner labia are reduced. Removing them in the same operation gives a balanced look.
The clitoris itself is never touched. Only surplus skin at the sides of the hood is reduced.
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When it helps
Hood reduction is considered only when the folds are clearly excessive and the patient wishes it, since overreduction exposes sensitive tissue.
Risks
Swelling and bruising for one to two weeks.
Tenderness when sitting or walking in the first days.
Temporary change in sensation during healing.
Complications after labiaplasty
Complication
How often
Management
Wound separation
4.7 percent across 1,949 women
Healing with care, occasional repair
Bleeding or hematoma
Uncommon
Pressure, rarely drainage
Infection
Uncommon
Antibiotics
Asymmetry or residual excess
Occasional
Minor revision after six months
Overreduction
Rare with a conservative plan
Difficult to correct, prevention matters
Removing too much tissue cannot easily be undone. We keep a safety margin of tissue and go through the planned result with you, using a hand mirror and skin marking, before any anesthetic is given.
Function and childbirth
Sensation depends on nerves that run into the labia from their base. Careful technique preserves them, and most women report normal or improved comfort.
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Six-month results
In a prospective Australian study with a comparison group, 82.8 percent of 29 women were moderately or extremely satisfied with the appearance, 86.2 percent with function and 82.8 percent overall (Sharp and colleagues, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 2016).
Can I have a vaginal birth after labiaplasty?
Yes. Labiaplasty does not affect the vaginal canal, and women deliver normally afterward. Tell your midwife or obstetrician about the operation. Tearing along the old scar is uncommon, and it is repaired in the usual way if it happens.
Satisfaction at six months, 29 women
Aspect
Moderately or extremely satisfied
Note
Appearance
82.8 percent
Genital appearance dissatisfaction fell sharply
Function
86.2 percent
Comfort in clothing and activity
Overall
82.8 percent
Higher preoperative distress, lower satisfaction
The operation day
Operation day timeline
Step
Timing
Note
Consultation and marking
Morning
Final plan agreed in private
Anesthesia
Start
Local with sedation, or general
Surgery
About one hour
Fine dissolving stitches
Recovery
One to two hours
Cold pack, pain relief
Discharge
Same day
Written instructions
Wear loose cotton underwear and comfortable trousers or a skirt. Bring sanitary pads for light spotting in the first days.
Anesthesia
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Comfort during surgery
Most women have local anesthesia with sedation and feel no pain. General anesthesia is available on request or when combined with other operations.
Wound care
Care at home
Care
How
How long
Cold packs
Wrapped, 15 minutes at a time
First two days
Gentle rinsing
Warm water after using the toilet
Two weeks
Pain relief
Paracetamol or anti-inflammatory tablets
Few days
Recovery
Swelling peaks on days two to three and then settles over two weeks. The final shape takes about three months to show.
Most women return to desk work within three to five days. Tight clothing, cycling, horse riding and intense exercise wait longer, as do tampons and intercourse.
Recovery after labiaplasty
Time
What happens
Activity
Days 1 to 3
Swelling, tenderness
Rest, short walks
Days 3 to 7
Swelling eases
Desk work
Weeks 2 to 3
Stitches dissolve
Light exercise
Weeks 4 to 6
Wounds strong
Intercourse, tampons, swimming
Week 6 onward
Healed
Cycling, riding, all sport
Results
The scar lies along the edge or within the labia and becomes very hard to see once healed. The result is permanent, although childbirth and ageing continue to change the tissue slowly.
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Revision
A small touch-up for residual asymmetry is sometimes needed and is planned at least six months after surgery.
Labiaplasty changes appearance satisfaction. It does not change general self-esteem or relationships on its own.
Expectations and well-being
Surgery answers a specific concern.
In the Australian study, labiaplasty reduced dissatisfaction with genital appearance sharply compared with women who did not have surgery, while measures of general psychological well-being, self-esteem and relationship quality did not change, and women with more psychological distress before surgery were less satisfied afterward (Sharp and colleagues, 2016).
Honest expectations lead to the best outcome.
For patients from abroad
The length of stay is four to six days in Istanbul, with a check visit before the flight home.
Before you travel
Send a short description of your concerns and any gynecological history. Photographs are optional and handled only by the treating team. After you return home, follow-up continues by video or message at two weeks, six weeks and three months.
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Traveling after surgery
Sitting for long periods is uncomfortable in the first days. A cushion and loose clothing help on the flight.
One coordinator from the international patients office handles arrangements from the first message through discharge and answers the same WhatsApp number after you return. The office works in English, Arabic, French, Russian, Serbian, Romanian and Spanish and books interpreters for other languages, and it arranges the visa invitation letter, airport transfers, daily transport and accommodation near the hospital. Halal, vegetarian and diabetic meals, a prayer room on site, and a female physician on request wherever the rota allows.
Privacy
Consultations take place in private, with a female chaperone present.
Records and photographs are stored securely and never used for any other purpose without written consent.
Nothing leaves the team.
Cost
What a quote for labiaplasty covers
Item
Included
Priced separately
Surgery
Surgeon, anesthesia, operating room
Labia majora surgery
Hood reduction
When planned with labiaplasty
Other combined operations
Aftercare
Medicines, check visit, follow-up by video
Revision
The price depends on the technique, whether the clitoral hood is included and the anesthesia used.
We quote after a private consultation or written description, before you travel, and when you compare quotes, check that they cover the same technique and name the surgeon who performs the operation.
References
Motakef S, Rodriguez-Feliz J, Chung MT, Ingargiola MJ, Wong VW, Patel A. Vaginal labiaplasty. Current practices and a simplified classification system for labial protrusion. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2015;135(3):774-788.
Sharp G, Tiggemann M, Mattiske J. Psychological outcomes of labiaplasty. A prospective study. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2016;138(6):1202-1209.
