Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Simultaneous Surgery of the Clitoral Hood–Labia Minora Complex with the Central Neurovascular Pedicle Retained

  • Original Articles
  • Special Topic
  • Published:
Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Hypertrophy of the labia minora with clitoral hood redundancy always occurs simultaneously and should be considered in its entirety. This study investigated a new simultaneous procedure for the clitoral hood–labia minora complex (CLC) that retains the central neurovascular pedicle.

Methods

This retrospective observational study, conducted between January 2021 and August 2022, included 29 patients with labia minora hypertrophy and clitoral hood redundancy who underwent a surgery wherein procedures on the CLC were performed simultaneously. A divisional design to separate the medial and lateral labia minora and to remove the skin and subcutaneous tissue asymmetrically, while retaining the central neurovascular pedicle and the natural margin of labia minora, was employed. Postoperatively, all patients were followed up via the Internet or at the outpatient clinic. The follow-up included observing postoperative outcomes and any complications and completing the satisfaction questionnaires.

Results

All the patients who underwent surgery showed good wound healing without discomfort of thread friction. Postoperatively, the labia minora had a natural appearance and retained sexual sensitivity. The scarring on the surgical incision was not evident. Hematoma and evident bilateral asymmetry occurred in one patient each. The satisfaction rate within 14 days and after 3 months of surgery was 96.6% and 92.6%, respectively.

Conclusions

This method uses a hidden incision, to remove the hypertrophic tissue and retain the natural edge and shape of the labia minora. Qualitatively, the patients were highly satisfied. This method was safe, effective, and easy to implement.

Level of Evidence IV

This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Skoda K, Oswald FE, Shorter L et al (2021) Perceptions of female genitalia following labiaplasty. J Sex Res 58(7):943–950. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2020.1808563

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Özer M, Mortimore I, Jansma EP et al (2018) Labiaplasty: motivation, techniques, and ethics. Nat Rev Urol 15(3):175–189. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrurol.2018.1

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Clerico C, Lari A, Mojallal A et al (2017) Anatomy and aesthetics of the labia minora: the ideal vulva? Aesthet Plast Surg 41(3):714–719. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00266-017-0831-1

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Xia Z, Liu CY, Zhang M et al (2022) Fused lateral clitoral hood and labia minora: new classification based on anatomic variation of the clitoral hood-labia minora complex and simple surgical management. Aesthet Surg J 42(8):907–917. https://doi.org/10.1093/asj/sjac039

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Ahmad J (2017) Female cosmetic genital surgery: concepts, classifications and techniques. Aesthet Surg J 37(10):NP145-NP146. https://doi.org/10.1093/asj/sjx147

  6. Eserdağ S, Anğın AD (2021) Surgical technique and outcomes of inverted-Y plasty procedure in clitoral hoodoplasty operations. J Minim Invasive Gynecol 28(9):1595–1602. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmig.2021.01.015

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Baskin L, Shen J, Sinclair A et al (2018) Development of the human penis and clitoris. Differentiation 103:74–85. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.diff.2018.08.001

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  8. Puppo V (2013) Anatomy and physiology of the clitoris, vestibular bulbs, and labia minora with a review of the female orgasm and the prevention of female sexual dysfunction. Clin Anat 26(1):134–152. https://doi.org/10.1002/ca.22177

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Hunter JG (2016) Labia minora, labia majora, and clitoral hood alteration: experience-based recommendations. Aesthet Surg J 36(1):71–79. https://doi.org/10.1093/asj/sjv092

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Jackson LA, Hare AM, Carrick KS et al (2019) Anatomy, histology, and nerve density of clitoris and associated structures: clinical applications to vulvar surgery. Am J Obstet Gynecol 221(5):519.e1-519.e9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2019.06.048

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Ginger VA, Cold CJ, Yang CC (2011) Structure and innervation of the labia minora. Female Pelvic Med Reconstr Surg 17(4):180–183. https://doi.org/10.1097/SPV.0b013e318221f835

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Cao Y, Li F, Li S et al (2021) A preliminary observational study on the vascular, nerve, and lymphatic anatomy and histology of the labia minora from cadaveric and surgical samples. Int Urogynecol J 32(5):1169–1176. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00192-020-04551-7

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Xia Z, Liu CY, Yu N et al (2021) Three-step excision: an easy way for composite labia minora and lateral clitoral hood reduction. Plast Reconstr Surg 148(6):928e–935e. https://doi.org/10.1097/PRS.0000000000008589

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Zhou Y, Li Q, Li S et al (2022) Trilobal methods for composite reduction labiaplasty. Aesthet Plast Surg 46(3):1472–1480. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00266-022-02841-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Li F, Li Q, Zhou Y et al (2020) L-shaped incision in composite reduction labiaplasty. Aesthet Plast Surg 44(5):1854–1858. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00266-020-01867-z

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Kalaaji A, Dreyer S, Maric I et al (2019) Female cosmetic genital surgery: patient characteristics, motivation, and satisfaction. Aesthet Surg J 39(12):1455–1466. https://doi.org/10.1093/asj/sjy309

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Schober JM, Alguacil NM, Cooper RS et al (2015) Self-assessment of anatomy, sexual sensitivity, and function of the labia and vagina. Clin Anat 28(3):335–362. https://doi.org/10.1002/ca.22503

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Hamori CA (2014) Aesthetic surgery of the female genitalia: labiaplasty and beyond. Plast Reconstr Surg 134(4):661–673. https://doi.org/10.1097/PRS.0000000000000516

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Qiang S, Li F, Zhou Y et al (2021) A new concept for central wedge resection in labiaplasty. Gynecol Obstet Invest 86(3):257–263. https://doi.org/10.1159/000513402

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Cao YJ, Li FY, Li SK et al (2012) A modified method of labia minora reduction: the de-epithelialised reduction of the central and posterior labia minora. J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg 65(8):1096–1102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bjps.2012.03.025

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Kelishadi SS, Omar R, Herring N et al (2016) The safe labiaplasty: a study of nerve density in labia minora and its implications. Aesthet Surg J 36(6):705–709. https://doi.org/10.1093/asj/sjw002

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Schober J, Aardsma N, Mayoglou L et al (2015) Terminal innervation of female genitalia, cutaneous sensory receptors of the epithelium of the labia minora. Clin Anat 28(3):392–398. https://doi.org/10.1002/ca.22502

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Ju M, Wang W, Ma N et al (2019) Reduction of hypertrophic labia minora by posterior-lateral wedge resection with preservation of the central blood vessels and nerve bundle. Aesthet Plast Surg 43(3):742–749. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00266-019-01326-4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Alter GJ (2008) Aesthetic labia minora and clitoral hood reduction using extended central wedge resection. Plast Reconstr Surg 122(6):1780–1789. https://doi.org/10.1097/PRS.0b013e31818a9b25

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Alter GJ (2009) Aesthetic labia minora and clitoral hood reduction using extended central wedge resection. Reply to letter to the editor. Plast Reconstr Surg 124:337–338. https://doi.org/10.1097/PRS.0b013e3181a8394d

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

The authors have no financial interest to declare in relation to the content of this article.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Wen Chen.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical Approval

This study was a retrospective review of patients who underwent surgery after review in our outpatient clinic. All procedures in this study adhered to the ethical principles of the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Plastic Surgery Hospital of the CAMS.

Informed Consent

Informed consent was obtained from all participants included in the study. All data collected were made anonymous to preserve patient confidentiality. The collection of the data and the results of this study did not impact any aspect of patient management. Patient consent was obtained for the publishing of their medical photographs.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Liu, B., Wang, D., Li, S. et al. Simultaneous Surgery of the Clitoral Hood–Labia Minora Complex with the Central Neurovascular Pedicle Retained. Aesth Plast Surg (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00266-023-03750-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00266-023-03750-z

Keywords

Navigation