Abstract
Background
Esthetic surgery of external female genitalia remains an uncommon procedure. This article describes a novel, de-epithelialized, labial rim flap technique for labia majora augmentation using de-epithelialized labia minora tissue otherwise to be excised as an adjunct to labia minora reduction.
Methods
Ten patients were included in the study. The protruding segments of the labia minora were de-epithelialized with a fine scissors or scalpel instead of being excised, and a bulky section of subcutaneous tissue was obtained. Between the outer and inner surfaces of the labia minora, a flap with a subcutaneous pedicle was created in continuity with the de-epithelialized marginal tissue. A pocket was dissected in the labium majus, and the flap was transposed into the pocket to augment the labia majora.
Results
Mean patient age was 39.9 (±13.9) years, mean operation time was 60 min, and mean follow-up period was 14.5 (±3.4) months. There were no major complications (hematoma, wound dehiscence, infection) following surgery. No patient complained of postoperative difficulty with coitus or dyspareunia. All patients were satisfied with the final appearance.
Conclusion
Several methods for labia minora reduction have been described. Auxiliary procedures are required with labia minora reduction for better results. Nevertheless, few authors have taken into account the final esthetic appearance of the whole female external genitalia. The described technique in this study is indicated primarily for mild atrophy of the labia majora with labia minora hypertrophy; the technique resulted in perfect patient satisfaction with no major complications or postoperative coital problems.
Level of Evidence IV
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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Ethical approval
All procedures performed in this study were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
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Karabağlı, Y., Kocman, E.A., Velipaşaoğlu, M. et al. Labia Majora Augmentation with De-epithelialized Labial Rim (Minora) Flaps as an Auxiliary Procedure for Labia Minora Reduction. Aesth Plast Surg 39, 289–293 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00266-015-0474-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00266-015-0474-z