Dr. Chet Mays I Vaginal Rejuvenation in Louisville, KY

Vaginal rejuvenation in Louisville, KY with Dr. Chet Mays  

What procedures are included in vaginal rejuvenation?

Labiaplasty

Labiaplasty is a surgical procedure usually done to reduce the size of your labia minora — skin folds that surround your urethra and vagina. Excess skin can get twisted and pinched, causing discomfort during exercise, physical activities and intercourse. You may also have labiaplasty for cosmetic reasons such as not liking the look in bikinis or tight-fitting clothing.

Vaginoplasty

A vaginoplasty is for patients seeking tightening, such as a woman who has had a tear, causing an episiotomy and a delivery that caused some stretching. Depending on how the tear was repaired, there could be a lot of laxity on the posterior wall of the vagina.

With this technique, go in surgically and tighten the vaginal canal, and patients can sort of pick how tight they want it based on their discussions with me—there are different levels of tightness that can be done within reason. Some patients have had multiple kids and are unhappy with their vaginal laxity and how it impacts their intimacy with their partner.

A labiaplasty is more cosmetic, whereas a vaginoplasty is more functional.

What is the recovery for vaginal rejuvenation?

A labiaplasty can be done under local anesthesia so patients don’t have to go to sleep. Dr. Chet Mays numbs the area with lidocaine to perform the procedure. 

Whereas with vaginoplasty, this procedure has to be done under general anesthesia because there isn’t a way to get the patient comfortable enough without it. Most patients enjoy taking a quick nap because of the positioning and comfort of the area.

Anything done surgically for the vagina requires six weeks of taking it easy, nothing in the vagina such as using tampons or intercourse. For the first few weeks, the patient will be swollen and sore and may have some difficulty walking and feel some burning from the friction. Patients should not sit for prolonged periods of time because it can cause swelling in the area, so standing is good! No sitting on bikes or any kind of direct pressure is very important. All of the stitches will dissolve in six to eight weeks, so there’s nothing to remove. Once the patient has reached six weeks, there are no restrictions.

Is a vaginoplasty covered by insurance?

Unfortunately, no. Even women who have had bad tears from vaginal delivery and have no stability in the vagina are still not covered. These are all considered cosmetic procedures.

What age can you receive a labiaplasty or vaginoplasty?

These procedures are for younger and older women—all of the above. For younger women, they enjoy it after vaginal births—we recommend waiting three to six months after delivery—or some incontinence because it can improve vaginal tightness. For older women, it can stimulate some new cell growth to remedy some of the dryness they experience after menopause.

Q&A with Dr. Chet Mays

How do you get patients to feel comfortable talking about these things?

“I get it, it’s a sensitive subject, and I’m a male and all the patients dealing with this are female, but by the time they reach the consultation chair, they’re almost mentally committed to the procedure because it’s a very humbling experience for them. They’ve reached that point that they’re past feeling embarrassed for the most part. Just like any other procedure, they show me what bothers them and I listen to their concerns, and then I talk about the treatment plan. I look at it as body art and I’m here to do what the patient is asking for within reason to make them feel better and meet their goals. I take it very seriously like everything else that I do.”

What about before-and-after images? I imagine this area is treated differently than other body part, and patients shouldn’t expect to get a book of before-and-after images like they would for a breast augmentation or rhinoplasty.

“Exactly. Everyone’s body is very different when it comes to this area. I don’t do before-and-afters for these procedures; I never have and I’ve been doing them for more than five years now. It’s more of a discussion, and maybe sketching for the patient on paper, as opposed to taking exposed photos of the patient. No one has ever asked me to see before-and-afters either. However, when it comes to labiaplasty, I ask them if they have any pictures of a labia they’ve seen that they want theirs to look like, so I can help guide them down the surgical pathway.”