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By Dr. Courtenay Poucher, MD, FACOG, certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the National Society of Cosmetic Physicians

Right at the start, I want to be really clear: You deserve to get the results you want. It’s your body, not your plastic surgeon’s.

And if that means, after you’ve done significant research, that you’d prefer the results offered by the wedge method… then you need to work with a provider who has meaningful experience with that method – or a provider who has a really good reason why they believe that particular technique isn’t the right fit for your goals and anatomy.

Now, let’s talk about “trim vs. wedge” when it comes to labiaplasty.

Here’s the big difference between the two: The labiaplasty “trim” surgical technique has the advantage of removing dark-skin edges. Its disadvantages included risk of retraction and limited shortening. The modified wedge labiaplasty surgical technique, on the other hand, allows for a more clean, more seamless appearance and greater reduction of excess skin while preserving the natural skin edge.

At Labiaplasty Center of Los Angeles, I perform labiaplasty using a modified wedge technique for the majority of patients. Why? Because it’s generally the right choice for their anatomy and it provides superior results that are better aligned with patients’ labiaplasty surgical goals.

I do need to add a word of caution here, too – and it’s about your reference to a plastic surgeon performing your labiaplasty surgery.

In my experience, most plastic surgeons are not experts in labiaplasty or vaginal surgeries – they might do a rhinoplasty one day and a breast augmentation the next, but few are consistently performing intimate procedures.

Simply put: A plastic surgeon’s speciality, in the vast majority of cases, is not with a woman’s intimate organs and tissues.

Here’s why that matters: Because you need your vagina, labia, vulva, perineum, etc. to not only look the way you want it to look – you need these parts to function as they are intended so that you’re as physically comfortable as you are confident.

Most plastic surgeons do not have the experience and knowledge required to ensure that form and function are meaningfully addressed in a vaginal surgery.

One of my specialties is in repairing botched labiaplasties – and unfortunately, in many of those cases, those botched procedures were performed by plastic surgeons.

I hope I have answered all of your questions.

Do you have a question about non-surgical vaginal rejuvenation, labiaplasty or other intimate surgeries you’d like answered by Dr. Courtenay Poucher? Use our Contact form to connect with us. We will answer as many questions via our Blog as time allows.