Labiaplasty in Uberlândia, Brazil

Yes — they are two names for the same operation on the labia minora. "Nymphoplasty" is the older anatomical term (from "nymphae", the classical anatomical name for the labia minora) and is still the more common term in Brazil; "labiaplasty" is the term used in most international literature. "Female intimate surgery" is a broader category that also covers other procedures in the region.

No — labiaplasty addresses the labia minora and does not change the labia majora. The labia majora are the outer structure, made of skin and fatty tissue, and the complaint there is usually a different one: loose or crepey skin after weight loss, pregnancies or aging, loss of volume, or excess volume. Each of those situations has its own approach described in the literature, such as resection of excess skin or volume replacement with the patient's own fat, with narrow indications. The size of that evidence is worth stating too: the systematic review of cosmetic genital surgery cited in this page's references found no standardized outcome measure across this group of procedures, and what exists specifically on the labia majora are small series without a comparison group. Prognosis here is discussed with even more reserve than for the labia minora. Since the two complaints can coexist, the physical examination is what separates what actually bothers you and defines whether there is an indication in each of them; where the indication involves the labia majora, the consultation clarifies whether that is addressed in the same operation or referred.

Generally between one and two hours, varying according to the technique chosen and whether it is combined with other procedures.

There are two main families of technique. In edge (trim) resection, a strip of tissue is removed along the entire free border of the labium minus, and the scar follows that border. In wedge resection, a triangle of tissue is taken from the central portion and the edges are brought together, which preserves the natural margin, with its own color, contour and innervation, and leaves the scar running across the labium. Neither is superior in every respect, and the complication profile weighs as much as appearance: in the two meta-analyses cited in the references at the end of this page, wedge resection is the technique whose dehiscence — the stitches opening — stands out most, at 8% in the 2024 review, the only dehiscence incidence the authors classified as elevated, and 3% in the 2022 one, behind only laser-assisted labiaplasty; in that same 2022 review, two of the three reported cases of flap necrosis occurred with wedge resection. Edge resection, in turn, trades the natural margin for a scar running along its whole length. There are also combined variations and de-epithelialization, which removes only the superficial layer. The choice weighs preservation of sensitivity and function in the area — the criterion that guides the decision before any consideration of appearance — the degree of hypertrophy, asymmetry between the two sides, redundant clitoral hood tissue when present, and whether you want that border kept. No technique is better in the abstract: there is the technique that suits each patient's anatomy, and that is settled during the physical examination at the consultation.

No. The approach is discharge the same day, a few hours after the operation, once pain is controlled and you are walking and passing urine normally — and always accompanied. The surgery is carried out in an operating theatre with an anesthesiology team, and recovery happens at home. Labiaplasty is a small-scale operation, and the first days of rest are at home. Whether you go home the same day or stay overnight is always assessed case by case, according to the extent of the surgery, the anesthesia, whether other procedures are combined and your pre-operative assessment — and it is defined before the surgery, not on the day. That same decision determines the venue: procedures with same-day discharge are performed in the operating theatre of Healme Clinic itself, and those requiring admission in the operating theatre of the UMC Hospital — in the same complex, with no travel between sites.

Usually local anesthesia combined with sedation, though this can vary depending on the extent of the procedure and the pre-operative evaluation carried out with the anesthesiology team.

During surgery the area is anesthetized under the plan agreed before the operation with the anesthesiology team, so pain during the operation itself is not expected. Afterwards, what patients most often describe is not severe pain but stinging, a swollen feeling and discomfort when sitting and when passing urine in the first days, because urine touches the sutured area; rinsing the area with water during and after urinating is commonly advised. Swelling tends to be most noticeable in the first days and then subsides gradually over the following weeks, at a pace that varies from patient to patient. Pain relief is prescribed individually. Pain that increases instead of easing, or that does not settle with the prescribed medication, should be reported to the team — it can point to a hematoma or an infection.

Recovery time varies individually; specific guidance on rest and return to activities is given post-operatively.

Resuming sexual activity follows an individual healing timeline, guided by the medical team during post-operative follow-up.

Yes, an initial period of relative rest is usually recommended; specific guidance on permitted activities is given individually during post-operative follow-up.

This tends to depend on the type of activity — jobs without physical strain or long periods of sitting are usually resumed sooner than more demanding roles; the timeline is assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Usually after a few days, once sitting is no longer uncomfortable and movement is unrestricted; this is confirmed during post-operative follow-up.

Low-impact activities are usually cleared before more intense exercise, particularly anything involving impact or friction in the area; a full return follows individualized guidance.

In most cases, a local dressing is recommended for the first few days, along with specific hygiene care guided by the medical team.

Laser, scalpel, scissors and electrosurgery are cutting instruments for the same operation. What determines the outcome tends to be the resection technique chosen, how much tissue is removed and the suturing; the energy source appears to weigh more on the morbidity of the first weeks than on the contour obtained. The available systematic reviews do not agree even on that: a 2024 meta-analysis described less bleeding, swelling and hematoma in cases operated with a laser than with a scalpel, while a 2022 one found the highest pooled incidence of dehiscence — the stitches opening — around 5%, precisely in laser-assisted labiaplasty, with wedge resection just behind it. Neither is a randomized trial, and the groups compared involve different surgeons and techniques, which is why neither finding can be treated as settled. As for recovery, there is no consistent evidence supporting shorter timelines with a laser: the period of swelling and the restrictions on exertion and intercourse follow individual guidance and are counted in weeks. With or without a laser, this remains surgery, with stitches and a scar.

Because the area has good blood supply, scarring tends to become discreet over time, though the final appearance varies from person to person.

It is a possible risk, since the area is subject to constant movement; measures such as relative rest and careful hygiene in the first days help reduce this possibility.

Venous thromboembolism prophylaxis is used in every patient, not only in those at higher risk. It has two parts. The mechanical one is routine: anti-thrombosis compression stockings and intermittent pneumatic compression of the legs, used during the operation and in the immediate postoperative period, until early ambulation — the third pillar, and the reason the team insists on short, frequent walks from the first hours. The chemical part is individualised: how long enoxaparin is used is defined by the Caprini score, a validated instrument that adds up factors such as age, body mass index, expected length of surgery, hormone use, smoking and personal or family history of thrombosis. None of these measures eliminates the risk, which is why asymmetrical pain or swelling in a leg, shortness of breath and chest pain need immediate assessment, not waiting.

The technique is planned to preserve sensitivity whenever possible — this is a point carefully assessed at the consultation.

The tissue removed does not grow back, so the reduction tends to hold. What changes over time is the tissue that remains: the labia minora are hormone-responsive, and hormonal variation, pregnancy, menopause and aging alter the skin, volume, pigmentation and elasticity both there and in the surrounding area — which can shift the appearance years later. The other side has to be said as well: residual asymmetry is possible — the two sides are rarely identical before surgery and may heal differently — and some patients need a second, smaller procedure; in the published series, the most common reasons for reoperation are wound dehiscence and dissatisfaction with the appearance. When an adjustment is indicated, complete healing is usually awaited — generally some months — before operating again, so that tissue still swollen is not disturbed. One limit has to be said alongside this: how sensitivity in the area will end up is not something that gets promised. The most recent systematic review of sexual function after labiaplasty gathered eleven studies — seven rated weak in methodological quality, four moderate and none strong — and the authors' own conclusion is that patients should be told, before surgery, that knowledge of this effect is limited.

Surgical fees are always private — Dr. Lorena does not operate through health insurance. What is possible, when a genuine, documented medical indication exists — such as hypertrophy of the labia minora causing pain, skin breakdown or functional limitation —, is to guide the patient and attempt to have the health plan cover part of the hospital admission, which may include the operating room, the hospital stay and materials, according to the terms of her policy. Authorisation is the insurer's decision and cannot be guaranteed; the team advises on the documentation required and on how to proceed.

Yes, where there is a reconstructive or functional indication — for example hypertrophy of the labia minora causing pain, skin breakdown or functional limitation. Surgery for purely aesthetic purposes is not covered by the SUS. Dr. Lorena is a plastic surgeon appointed by public examination to the Hospital de Clínicas of the Federal University of Uberlândia (HC-UFU) and preceptor of its plastic surgery residency, and she operates on SUS patients there. The route, however, does not run through this site or the private practice: the patient must register at the primary care unit (Unidade Básica de Saúde) nearest to where she lives, be assessed by a doctor there and, if there is an indication, be placed in her municipality's regulation queue. The surgeon cannot choose who is operated on through the SUS — the order follows the queue and the rules of the system strictly.

We do not publish isolated before-and-after pairs. Resolution 2,336/2023 of the Brazilian Federal Council of Medicine allows results to be demonstrated, but only within a set that also includes unsatisfactory outcomes and the complications described in the literature, across different body types, age ranges and stages of healing, and with no editing of the images (art. 14, II). An isolated pair of photos does not meet those requirements and also implies a guaranteed result, which the same resolution prohibits (art. 11, XII). At the consultation the expected outcome is discussed from your own anatomy — what is reasonable to expect, what is not possible, and what the risks are.