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This interview comes from Sharna Louise, a 36 year old woman from the UK. She was more than willing to share her labiaplasty story for the thousands of women that visit the site monthly researching what is right for them.
In Sharna's own words "I wanted to make sure I shared EVERYTHING as I know it will be of help to someone!!"
At the time of the interview she was exactly 7 weeks post-op…Take the time to read this information rich interview, with lots of great advice! Enjoy.
Vanessa:
What had you been experiencing prior to your Labiaplasty (what was the motivating factor)?
Sharna:
It was only in the past 2 years I noticed some changes in this area. And it was only on one side. I had this annoying little tab that would just poke out and to me – it just looked horrible and I was self conscious about it to a degree – but it only became really problematic about 8 months ago when, to me, it had got bigger and I noticed that I was sore after longer bike rides.
When I started to get more paranoid about it, I found myself noticing it more and then ‘tucking it in’ more often and being self conscious about getting out the baths I had with my boyfriend. Once I had started to fixate on it – the more of a problem it became.
To be honest, I don’t know whether my fixation became the problem - which made it feel worse than it was, or whether it had actually got worse!! Anyway – at times it was on my mind constantly – every time I went to the loo I would check if it was in or out!
And it started to affect my confidence. Especially as I am a triathlete and I am always in changing rooms!! I never discussed it with my boyfriend, because I did a pretty good job of hiding it. I guess in the grand scheme of things – I could of continued without surgery and hid it well.
Vanessa:
How long had you been considering Labia Reduction prior to having it done?
Sharna:
I started researching having it done in about August 2011. My relationship ended and at this point, I was really fed up with having it constantly on my mind. With my relationship ending - I felt it would be the perfect time to tackle this. No boyfriend – get it done, recover and viola! – confident and no insecurity issues for when I met someone else.
Vanessa:
What type of research had you done prior to your labiaplasty? (Did you see before and after pictures of their work, meet with other docs, talk with patients, etc. explain what you did)
Sharna:
I think this is where I made my first mistake!! All my research was done on Cosmetic Surgery sites – looking at their FAQ’s and their lovely positive, flowery statements about how minor the surgery is and how you’ll be back exercising within 2-4 weeks.
From these sites, I learned a lot about what surgery techniques there are (wedge/trim) and how they work and the information on the sites gave me some good questions to take to my surgeon consultation that I’d booked in.
At my first consultation with a very large and market leading UK Cosmetic Surgery provider, I was called in to meet a doctor who spoke very poor English. Immediately, I felt uneasy. In pigeon English – he guided me to look at his ipad at various pictures of his previous patients. The pictures of the surgery looked poorly done and I remember thinking – blimey, if I was a surgeon, I would not show those pictures!!
I started with my questions about which surgical method he preferred. He said the trim. When I asked about the wedge and could he talk me through this – he appeared not to even know what this method was. I asked him how swollen I would get, he said I would have no swelling, and when he rather rudely started to flick through his iphone when I was trying to talk and communicate with him, I could see he was uncomfortable/agitated with my questioning and immediately my alarm bells started ringing!
I was off – I got out of there quick and I was darn sure this surgeon would not lay a finger on my body!! In addition to this, there was nothing provided to me on his surgical background and I could not find anything on the internet to determine how reputable this surgeon was in this type of surgery.
Following this, I was still sure I wanted to explore another surgeon. So I went back to the internet. This time – I was looking for an English surgeon with a good solid background that I could research before meeting him/her.
I then found another provider, and I really liked the way they had full profiles on their surgeons. So I did my research on them. Following this – I booked a consultation. Armed with the same questions I took to my first consult, I went more prepared than before. Immediately, I felt at ease with my surgeon.
In minutes he had explained what the wedge technique was, why he used it and the key differences between the wedge and trim. He also drew diagrams to show me how the surgery worked and he was brutally honest about how the surgery is a big deal and I should expect to do no physical exercise for at least 2 months post op.
He provided me with a contact of one of his previous patients, whom talked me through her experience – and again – painted a very realistic picture about how I would need to take recovery seriously.
If anything, following my consult with the surgeon and one of his previous patients, I started to think about whether I wanted to have it done, as all this time off my triathlon training and mountaineering would be a big impact for me!!! After thinking it through – I decided I still wanted to do it.
I had absolute confidence in the surgeon – so this was not at question. But I wanted to act fast, as I wanted the op done in November so that my training and my training for my trip to Everest in April 2012 were not affected too much! I think the haste to ‘just get it done’ did impact the research I did after that point.
Looking back – I wish I had done more research on subjects like – Labiaplasty bad recovery or Labiaplasty gone wrong. This would of brought up a load of message boards – which – post operation – I became very reliant on for advice and sources of information!
These message boards not only have a variety of detail about what can actually go wrong – but they also give a very realistic picture on how 95% of women that go through this operation, panic and obsess post operation! Even when there are no post operative complications! I think these boards would have better prepared me for what was to come…
Vanessa:
How did you choose your labiaplasty doctor?
Sharna:
By the internet and by detailed research on his work. Not only was he a private cosmetic surgeon, he worked on our National Health Service and also held Lectures and universities. His portfolio of work and his reputation was good and solid. There was a lot of information on him not only on the Cosmetic Surgery site but elsewhere on the internet which was useful.
Vanessa:
How far post-op are you?
Sharna:
I had my op on the 28 November and I am now 7 weeks post operation today.
Vanessa:
Have you resumed normal activities? Can you share your overall satisfaction with your Labiaplasty or is it too early?
Sharna:
No. Until day 6 post op, everything was going as expected. I had swollen up considerably and I had a lot of dark bruising – but because I was prepped for this in my consult – I was fine with this – even though it looked a bit freakish!! Post op day 6 was when my problems started. It’s to some debate on what caused it.
But I ended up being signed off work for 4 weeks. All of those 4 weeks I was either in bed or lying still on my sofa. I think I was probably on my feet for less than an hour a day!! I have recently managed a couple of short walks – but I am still sore on one side and I am no-where near ready to resume and running/biking/swimming/hill walking or any exercise for that matter for the foreseeable few weeks.
Overall – I am satisfied with the labiaplasty. From what I can see, the work he has done is great. I am still a little swollen but this is expected for up to 3 months post op. But I can see his work and I am pleased! My only problem at this point is the 1.5cm long incision where I am not fully healed (due to dropped stitches). This incision is hidden in a crease so I should heal with no visible scarring. I expect the scarring to form under the crease.
The surgeon has advised I can resume swimming once the incision has healed over. I am expecting this to be in about a week or 2.
Vanessa:
When you first contacted me you were experiencing some unexpected prolonged bleeding and what some might describe as "complications" after your Labia Surgery please describe what you were experiencing and how someone may avoid those same concerns (if possible).
Sharna:
Until day 6, I had, had some light spotting – which was completely normal and did not cause me any alarm at all. On day 6 post op – I noticed bright red blood – not lots – but enough to change a panty liner every few hours. Again I was not too alarmed – I was seeing the surgeon the next day for my one week check up. Upon seeing the surgeon – he was not overly concerned with the ‘spotting’ and seemed to be happy with what he saw.
He said I could start sitting in the bath – so I went home and had a very short bath (I did not wash the area, just sat in the bath) and went to bed. Overnight – the blood loss increased and by Tuesday morning I was alarmed and rang the hospital. The surgeon could tell I was alarmed and asked me to come back in that evening.
Upon seeing him 24 hours later – he said I was bleeding from both sides and that I had some loose stitches on the right side – but again, he was not too worried, but I should keep the area dry (so no baths or showers) and rest up as much as possible that week. He seemed puzzled as to why I was bleeding and advised this had not happened to any of his other patients.
I lost 4 big stitches (saw these on my pads) on day 7 and the bleeding continued from that point for another 10 days. I was signed off – so I spent much of it as still as possible and obsessing with a mirror and being extremely worried. The surgeon helped by giving me his mobile number and we did communicate over text/phone if I needed to contact him.
I eventually stopped the bleeding by ‘airing’ the wounds out and allowing scabs to form where they could. I saw the surgeon again 13 days post op where he told me I was ‘almost out of the woods’ and that I could start having a bath. I was still so sore at this point that I could not touch the area with my fingers. I was also too scared to as I did not want to disrupt anything or make anything worse! Or start the bleeding off again!
So, I used a mirror and a small squirt bottle to gently dispense water over the wound area and used cotton buds to very gently cleanse the area as best as I could. I was sore sitting upright and walking (could not drive at this point). So I was pretty much stuck at home resting keeping the weight off the area…waiting, fretting, worrying. This is when I found the message boards and Vanessa, and people that I could share my experience with and people that could settle my worries. This helped a lot.
I had a 6 week consult with the surgeon who advised that the wound had not sealed on the side where I dropped my stitches. This time last week – it had not healed over. I was extremely distressed with this as all the websites state you’ll be healed over and back to normal exercise 4-6 weeks post op. And here I am 6 weeks down the line with an open wound!!
The surgeon told me I had to be braver with my cleaning and start washing the area with hypo-allergenic wash. Which I have started to do. I am still walking incredibly slow and like I’ve sat on a horse for a week. I am back at work – but sitting and getting out of the chair is uncomfortable and I am nowhere near doing any type of exercise. Now I am just playing a waiting game.
Last Thursday, I was concerned I may have a small infection (maybe this was why the wound was not closing??) – so I went to my local doctor who put me on anti-biotics as a precaution, which I am hoping will clear any bacteria in the wound and then allow the body to start closing it over. I am trying not to obsess about it – stopped using the mirror every time I go to the loo.
But it still stings when I pee, so I know the wound is still open which is very distressing for me, seeing as I am in my 8th week post surgery. I am eating a very healthy diet, taking all the supplements under the sun to help with healing and just hoping it will be just a couple more weeks until the wound seals and I can start leading a normal life again.
At my darkest moments I do wonder that if I had known about all these problems I’ve had, would I of still had it done? I’m really not sure on that one to be honest. The way I keep my mind positive at this point though is thinking, if I had not of had it done, I know I would of spent probably the rest of my life living with being paranoid and self conscious about it. And it would of probably got worse with age or when I had kids.
So - what is 8-12 weeks out of the rest of my life? I am more than happy with how it looks (if it would just heal, I’d be the happiest girl alive!!!) – the work the surgeon has done is great. Although I am still a little sore - I have no pain (like some of the horror stories you read) and I still have all my sensory areas and there are no unsightly scars.
Even the open wound is hidden in a crease so I hope the scars form under the crease. I am hoping it will heal together and not separately. The surgeon said last week he would like to see me again at the 6 month mark. So clearly he is not worried. He said its highly unlikely it will heal separately in a mucus area like the vagina. I really do hope so. Otherwise I will be left with a large crease which will need revision surgery.
Vanessa:
What would you liked to have known to have best prepared you for Labiaplasty? Anything you would have done differently?
Sharna:
This is the million dollar question!! How did I end up with busted stitches? Was it the surgeons work? Possibly.
But what did I do that perhaps I wish I had done differently?
- Although I rested in the first week after surgery (had the whole week off work)– I did drive on day 3 (to an appointment I should of cancelled!!), I should of stayed on the sofa!
- I was constipated post surgery – which I don’t think helped!! So I would of taken a mild laxative to help in the first week after surgery.
- I used a very weak solution of Hydrogen Peroxide (on a cotton bud) to cleanse the stitching area – which I have later learned DISSOLVES stitches
- I took vitamin E and Omega Oil post op and when I started to bleed – I don’t think this helped as it thins the blood (so can make bleeding worse). Bleeding did improve when I stopped taking those supplements
- I went back to work 7 days post op and carried my large laptop trolley up a big flight of stairs – no heavy lifting rule broken on Day 7 (when my bleeding got worse!!)
- I did use the shower head to cleanse the area (like a jet wash!!) 5 days post op which could of disrupted my stitches!
I do think the surgeon could have been more specific with me on my aftercare instructions – e.g. told me EXACTLY what to do/or not to use post op. He did not really give me detailed info on this – just sent me away with an antibacterial cream for use. I think the surgeon should of provided me with a sheet to detail aftercare process so that I could follow that and not make any mistakes.
I think I was prepared well for the swelling and time off training, but I still thought that because I was so fit and healthy, healing would be so easy! How wrong I was!! Even without complications like I have had – this is a BIG operation despite what websites say. Even knowing what I did – I still did not take the op as seriously as I should of done. I should of rested more in the first week and taken some of the recovery rules more seriously.
Things I would do DIFFERENTLY
- Leave it alone – don’t obsess over it with a mirror or poke around with things. Let it settle. Don’t use dettol or hydrogen peroxide or any fancy off the shelf antiseptics. Follow your surgeons guidance and ensure you ask for that guidance!!
- Don’t over cleanse the area each time you pee – cleanse twice daily with water and anti-bacterial ointment. And when in the shower – just allow water to run down the body to the site. Dry very carefully.
- Rest more in the first week – no driving or popping out for coffee. Take recovery seriously in that first week!
Vanessa:
What do you think is the most important thing a woman should consider in preparing or choosing Labiaplasty?
Sharna:
Absolute TRUST in your surgeon. If you don’t feel it during the first consult, FIND ANOTHER. Go with your gut feeling. Research them on the internet – if you can’t find anything on them, then ask the surgeon where you can research more about him/her. I am so glad that I trusted my instinct and did not go with the first surgeon. Don’t always assume the ‘market leader’ cosmetic surgery providers are the best.
Ask your surgeon what aftercare they provide. Can you speak to him/her on the phone. Does the price include follow up appointments? Some private surgeon aftercare can be poor – where they try and palm you off to your national health service for problems you have post op. You want a surgeon who is known for good aftercare – because if and when you have a problem, you will want that contact and care/support.
Check message boards on the internet! Look at all the horror stories – OK – complications don’t happen all the time – but know what to expect at the absolute worst AND/OR learn where other women, like me, have made mistakes in their recovery which has cost them weeks in additional recovery time or bad healing. I would suggest searching under, Labiaplasty bad recovery/stitches undone/bad or poor healing/questions.
Avoid doing all your research on the cosmetic surgery sites which give you ‘best case scenarios’/polished stories and Q&A’s. Go for the message boards and help sites like Vanessa’s site to give you honest, straight up advice and information based on real experiences.
Always speak to one or more of the surgeons previous patients. Have questions prepared. How did they recover? What did they find helpful or not so helpful? If they had surgery again, what would they do differently? What advice can they give you? How did they find the surgeon’s post operative support? Would they use the same surgeon again?
Vanessa:
Please provide any advice or tips you think women considering Labiaplasty/Vaginal surgery should know (Anything you think would be beneficial):
Sharna:
In the first few weeks post op, sleep on your back with no underwear on. Place a pillow under your knees to take the pressure off the bottom of your back. This keeps the pressure off the wound area.
7 weeks post op, I am still sleeping with a folded pillow between my legs when I sleep on my side. This is to keep the pressure off the wounds. I used ice in the first 2 weeks which did help with swelling. Ice as soon as you can after surgery. Buy a small squirt bottle so that you can cleanse the wound area with water without touching or pulling the site of the wounds.
Don’t use a shower head to ‘jet wash’ the wound site! This can also disrupt stitches! If you need to cleanse immediately after surgery, use a salt water solution or just plain water and your anti-bacterial ointment. Don’t be alarmed if things turn black (bruising). If the bruising is all over (or on both sides) then this is just likely to be bruising. If the blackness is only on one side of the vagina and swelling on that one side is much worse than the other side, then this could be a hematoma – so get checked out ASAP.
If you’re bleeding – steer clear of anti-inflammatories and supplements such as vitamin E and Omega 3 oils. These can thin the blood and make the bleeding worse. Don’t use hydrogen peroxide solution to cleanse wounds!! It can dissolve stitching too early.
Be careful if you’re using cotton buds post op – these can disrupt stitches if they’re used too roughly over the stitching area. Use a hairdryer on low/cold setting at a good distance away from your body to create a gentle air stream to gently dry your vaginal area after a bath/shower instead of touching it or using a towel (which could disrupt the area)
Eat a healthy diet – plenty of nuts, veg and good quality proteins (egg, oily fish, chicken) and good quality carbohydrates (potatoes, rice, pasta, porridge) to support healing. Also WATER, hydrate as much as possible!
Avoid alcohol and smoking for 6-8 weeks post op. Alcohol and smoking can delay healing considerably! Start taking Zinc 2 weeks before your operation and for 2-3 months post op along with vitamins (B’s and C vits). Get some good sleep! A majority of your healing will be done when you’re asleep. Get the zzzzz’s in when you can!
Listen to your body!!! The surgeon can advise on lead times for you to return to activity. But ultimately, only YOU know how you feel. Don’t take any risks which may inhibit your healing. If you’re still sore, wait another week. BE PATIENT.
Before you do something, think about how you feel and possible consequences – this has helped me when considering a ‘longer walk’ or doing extra activities which I know deep down will probably not be a good idea or be risky to my recovery!! Think first!! TOTALLY rest for one week post op. Bed and sofa – give yourself a good head start to healing properly. Take this op seriously!!
Ask the surgeon EXACTLY how you should execute your cleansing regime post op. So, how should you wash the area, what can you use – just water? Soap (if so what kind) etc etc. Be clear on exactly what you have to do and how often.
Time your surgery so that you have just had your period. Trust me – you won’t be able to use tampons and bleeding into towels and wound care just don’t mix!! If you can’t time it right – visit your doc and get some pills which delay your period – or if you are on the pill, continue taking it so that you miss your period. I was able to use tampons 5 weeks post surgery (using a mirror and KY Jelly to insert them!!) after delaying my period twice with tablets from the doctor.
Take a before picture yourself – know what you looked like before surgery!! I wish I had done this as I cant remember how I looked exactly and this would of helped me make sense of how my area had changed!!
Be prepared to fret and worry!! From what I can gather most women do obsess about their healing, they way they look straight after surgery, how they will look in few months time, returning to activities etc. Try not to live with a mirror in between your legs! You only make the fretting worse! Let things settle, try and chill and get the low down from the surgeon on all the things you will expect to see/feel to ease some of those early worries.
Thanks Sharna! This was such an amazing amount of information from someone who knows firsthand what to do and even not to do. We wish you nothing but the best!! You are doing a great thing for women EVERYWHERE!! xoxoxo
Ladies, feel free to share any questions you may still have below. What did you you learn from Sharna's story or in your own personal experience?
(Image Credit: University of Illinois)
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