Postoperative clitoral hood deformity after labiaplasty

Abstract

Aesthetics of the female genitalia have come under increasing scrutiny with the popularity of Brazilian waxing trends and media promotion of sheer fashions. Women seek to have a clean and youthful appearance of the vaginal region, with minimal if any labial minora show beyond the labia majora. Labiaplasty by edge resection of the redundant labia minora tends to be the preferred method of treating labia minora hypertrophy by most gynecologists and plastic surgeons. This technique is effective in removing the excess circumferential rim of the labia minora, thus decreasing bulk and protrusion from the introitus. However, in select patients with redundant clitoral hood tissue, edge trim techniques may result in an imbalanced postoperative result where the hood actually looks larger. These patients complain of a prominence of the clitoral hood not present prior to their labiaplasty. In this case report, the author describes 2 cases of excess clitoral hood prominence after free-edge resection labiaplasty. Both patients were unhappy with the result of their labiaplasties and sought surgical correction. Presentation, anatomical findings, options for treatment, and avoidance of such deformity are discussed.

Keywords: body contouring; clitoral hood reduction; complications of labiaplasty; edge trim labiaplasty; extended wedge labiaplasty; labiaplasty.