When intimacy no longer feels the way it once did after childbirth, this procedure can help you find your way back to closeness and comfort with your partner.
After giving birth, many women notice that the vagina feels stretched and has lost some of its elasticity. The ring of muscle around the vaginal canal can tear during delivery, so it no longer tightens the way it used to, and sensation during intimacy fades. This is a change in your body, not a fault of yours. This procedure may suit some women, though it is not right for everyone.
Everything begins with an in-person examination and consultation with the specialist surgeon who will perform your procedure. The surgeon assesses your overall health, the condition of the vagina and vulva, and any other medical conditions, so the two of you can decide together whether this procedure is right for you.
Before surgery, you will have a few routine tests and a separate review with the anaesthetist. You will need to stop any medicines containing Aspirin for 10 days before surgery and fast for 6 hours beforehand. You are usually given local anaesthesia, with or without sedation (medicine to help you relax); in some cases spinal anaesthesia or general anaesthesia is used.
There are several different techniques, but the general principle is to remove some of the lining of the vaginal wall and tighten the underlying muscle, so the vaginal wall becomes narrower and firmer. The surgery usually takes about 1 hour.
If you have enlarged inner labia (inner lips that are larger than usual), the surgeon may reduce them during the same procedure. Your surgeon will discuss this clearly with you before going ahead.
This procedure aims to firm the vaginal walls and improve sensation during intimacy. Results vary from one woman to the next, and there are things this procedure will not do.
Most women recover gently. You will not need stitches removed or dressings changed. The milestones below are the timeframes we see most often; every body heals at its own pace.
Most procedures performed correctly go smoothly, with gentle recovery and satisfied patients. But like any surgery, this procedure still carries risks you should know about beforehand. The complications below are uncommon, though they are not impossible.
At The Gioi Dep, this procedure is performed by a specialist in Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery or in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, within a hospital that is licensed for surgery. The same doctor who examines and advises you is the one who performs your surgery, so the plan is built around your real condition.
Most risks are kept low through careful preparation. Before surgery, you have routine tests and a separate pre-anaesthetic review with an anaesthesia and critical care doctor, so your surgery takes place in a safe anaesthetic environment. We also speak plainly with you about the complications that can happen, because a sound decision needs full information.
In the first few days you may feel some tightness and mild stinging in the vagina, and this usually eases over a few days. You are given pain relief and antibiotics for about 7 days.
You usually return to normal daily activities from the next day and can go back to work after 1 to 3 days, depending on the nature of your job.
You are usually discharged on the same day as your surgery.
No. You will not need stitches removed and you will not need dressings changed. You only need to clean the vagina each day with an antiseptic solution during the first week.
You are advised to begin sexual activity again after about 8 weeks, to give the surgical area time to heal.
The right time is at least 3 months after childbirth and once your period has just finished. Your surgeon will assess your situation in detail during the examination.
Yes. This procedure is usually considered when you have already done pelvic floor exercises such as Kegels but still have not regained the sensation you hoped for.
The surgery usually takes about 1 hour. You are usually given local anaesthesia, with or without sedation; in some cases spinal anaesthesia or general anaesthesia is used.
A vagina that has stretched after childbirth can raise the risk of certain gynaecological conditions, and tightening it may help lower that risk. Even so, it does not replace treatment if you already have a gynaecological condition.
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The content on this page is for reference only and does not replace a direct examination and consultation with a specialist physician. Surgical outcomes vary from person to person.