Be careful of vagina surgery(credit:
brokenchopstick)
More and more women are opting for vaginal procedures and experts are not entirely happy with this. Experts warn that such surgery may not be safe or effective.
Last week the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Committee on Gynecologic Practice issued a statement to its members warning about the dangers of trying to create designer vaginas through procedures that purport to trim and slim the vaginal lips, tighten the vagina or add extra bounce to the G-spot with injectable materials like collagen.
Labiaplasty is sometimes necessary for medical reasons - if there′s a problem with urination, for example. But doctors say those cases are not the reason for the surgery. Although there are no firm numbers on how many procedures were performed last year, doctors around the country report more and more requests from patients for purely cosmetic changes.
Not so long ago, the main clientele for cosmetic vaginal procedures was sex workers and nude entertainers, but with the increasing popularity of bikini waxes, women have become more aware of the appearance of their vaginas, and a growing number seem to feel they don′t measure up. Others worry that they don′t enjoy sex as much after pushing a baby out the birth canal; they hope that tightening their vaginas will restore the thrill. Doctors say they′re seeing women of all ages--even in their 60s and 70s--who want vaginal makeovers.
But the peril may be much greater than prospective patients realize. Doctors say that there are no studies that show long-term outcomes. Some doctors feel that women could end up in worse shape than when they started because of complications like severe pain from scarring by lasers used on the vaginal wall, decreased lubrication or incontinence.
ACOG says that women who are contemplating this kind of questionable procedure need to understand that there′s a great variety in the appearance of the vaginal area--just as there is in any other part of the body--and most of those differences are well within the normal range, which means they do not require medical intervention.
It′s not just the size of the vagina - there′s a lot more involved, including nerves, blood supply and lubrication as well as the critical emotional components of sexual satisfaction.