Cosmetic gynecology
Aesthetic (cosmetic) gynecology has become mainstream over the past 10 years. Many women undergo aesthetic procedures to improve body parts. Gynecologic cosmetic surgery has been shown to enhance the well-being and function of women who are not satisfied with the appearance or function of their intimate body parts. Sometimes there are functional problems, like large labia that may interfere with spinning, or cycling, or cause unappealing appearance (e.g. “camel toe”).
Some women have other problems, like vaginal laxity (“looseness”), especially after vaginal deliveries. This is also a condition that can be surgically corrected with good success.
For women seeking aesthetic gynecology treatment it is important to have this done by a doctor who is appropriately trained. Dr. Richter is certified by ESAG (the European Society of Aesthetic Gynecology). He is also a urogynecologist and reconstructive pelvic surgeon, which makes him very well-qualified as an aesthetic gynecology surgeon.
He offers labiaplasty (minora and majora), clitoral hood reduction, vaginal rejuvenation and more.
Labiaplasty
Labiaplasty minora (inner lips)
Problem: Prominent inner vaginal lips, leading to undesirable appearance that causes women to feel unhappy about their appearance and physical discomfort due to chafing.
Goal: Reshaping and making the labia smaller, removing the dark edges of the vaginal labia.
A common problem is enlargement of the inner lips. Often women feel very uncomfortable due to chafing from the enlarged labia, when just walking, or during sports activities like spinning. Women also feel embarrassed and aware of the prominent lips when in bathing costumes and sometimes suffer from comments by their partners of friends. This can have a psychological effect that may lead to problems with women’s sexual functioning and well-being. And it may cause a woman to view herself negatively in terms of her sexuality. This technique focuses on reducing the size and/or the shape of the labia minora. It can also address the dark skin colouration on the labial edges, something that bothers a lot of women.
Labiaplasty Majora (outer lips)
Problem: The outer lips are unattractive because they are saggy, or too prominent.
Goal: To reshape and decrease the size of the outer lips, to tighten the skin to remove the sagginess.
The size and the appearance of the labia larger (outer lips) is changed with labia majora plasty, by removing excess tissue and skin with a “hidden scar” technique. There is removal of excess fat and tightening or lifting of relaxed skin. The labia majora can be enlarged, or appear saggy, due to genetic predisposition, weight loss, aging or side-effects of childbirth.
Let Dr. Richter help you to discuss possibilities to relieve your anxiety and discomfort and to help you decide what is right for you.
Urogynaecology and the female pelvic floor
What is urogynecology? It is a subspecialty of gynecology also known as “pelvic reconstructive surgery”. It deals with problems related to female pelvic organ prolapse, urinary problems, like incontinence, and also some bowel related problems.
The female pelvic floor refers to the (complex) muscles, ligaments, connective tissue and nerves that comprise the pelvic organ support. Support and function are intertwined and these supports play a very important role in the function of the bladder, vagina, uterus and bowels.
Loss of support may lead to multiple problems. Some of these are incontinence, difficulty emptying the bladder, vaginal and pelvic pressure and prolapse, as well as difficulty emptying the bowel and constipation.
The impact on women’s daily functioning and QOL (quality of life) can vary from minimal to debilitating. Some women are not able to function due to these kinds of problems.
Dr. Richter can help. He has been performing advanced laparoscopic surgery for some of these problems for almost 25 years and was trained as a subspecialist in urogynecology. He currently performs high level minimally invasive (“keyhole”) surgeries to help women with prolapse. Many of the cases he does are problem cases with failed previous repairs. He was also trained in the full spectrum of vaginal surgeries to help incontinence, prolapse and certain bowel related problems like constipation and previous delivery-related complications.
Vaginoplasty
Problem: Vaginal gaping and looseness of vaginal opening and muscles.
Goal: To decrease vaginal diameter and tighten lax muscles and tissues, leading to dramatic increase of your and your partner’s quality of sexual pleasure.
Vaginoplasty is a delicate surgical procedure with the goal of tightening stretched out muscles and tissues. It removes stretched out vaginal skin and reconstructs a tighter vaginal opening and vaginal canal.
In cases, especially in case of delivery related tears or episiotomy, perineoplasty may be necessary too; either on its own or in combination with vaginoplasty. With perineoplasty the outer vaginal opening is reshaped and usually tightened.
