Outcomes of labiaplasty in women with labial hypertrophy

Introduction and hypothesis High-quality data are lacking to understand outcomes in women who undergo labiaplasty for labial hypertrophy and whether there is an association with body dismorphic disorder (BDD). Methods This was a cross-sectional study of a retrospective cohort of women who underwent labiaplasty for labial hypertrophy at a tertiary care referral center. Women were identified by CPT codes and were included if the procedure was performed by a urogynecologist. The health record was queried for demographic, pre-, intra-, and postoperative data. For the cross-sectional component of the study, participants were contacted to complete a survey. Results Thirty-six women met study inclusion criteria; 21 participated in the survey, and retrospective data were available for 20. At the time of labiaplasty, the women had a mean age of 30 +/- 12 years and mean BMI of 23.9 +/- 4.4 kg/m(2). The most common preoperative motivation for undergoing labiaplasty, based on the medical record, was pain (85.0% 17/20). Complications were uncommon and minor. No women met criteria for BDD. Participant survey-reported primary motivation for undergoing partial simple vulvectomy was pinching in 10 (47.6%), pain in 4 (19.0%), and appearance in 7 (33.3%). The majority of women reported that labiaplasty achieved their preoperative goal (20/21, 95.2%). Conclusions Women who underwent labiaplasty were primarily motivated by functional concerns, and outcomes indicate a high satisfaction with genital appearance postoperatively as well as a positive effect on body image and quality of life. We recommend that surgeons work to understand what motivates women to pursue surgical intervention by asking about cosmetic concerns.

Automated summary

The study found that women undergoing labiaplasty were primarily motivated by functional concerns, and the outcomes indicated high satisfaction with genital appearance postoperatively as well as a positive effect on body image and quality of life. The recommendation is for surgeons to understand women's motivations for pursuing surgical intervention by asking about their cosmetic concerns.