Labiaplasty in Paris 16 — surgery of the labia minora

Reduction labiaplasty decreases the size of the labia minora where their development causes functional or aesthetic difficulty. It is carried out in a medical setting, on a personal request, after a clinical examination.

What is a labiaplasty?

The operation consists in reducing the size of the labia minora so that they no longer protrude beyond the labia majora, while respecting the symmetry and the sensitivity of the area.

Lipofilling of the labia majora is sometimes combined with it where these have lost volume.

What are the indications?

Functional indication: where the size of the labia minora causes painful friction when walking, during sport or during sexual intercourse, or prevents certain clothes from being worn.

Aesthetic indication: where the difficulty is a matter of self-image, with no functional impact.

This distinction is not a theoretical one: it determines the terms of reimbursement and it is established during the consultation.

Is there a normal size?

No. Vulval anatomy varies enormously from one woman to another, and that variability is normal. There is no reference anatomical norm.

Enlargement of the labia minora is not in itself an abnormality. The surgical indication rests not on a measurement but on a genuinely experienced difficulty, expressed by the patient herself.

How does the operation proceed?

The operation generally takes place as day surgery, under general anaesthesia.

What is the recovery like?

Recovery is most often straightforward and causes little pain. Sitting is awkward for a week.

Intimate hygiene is a decisive factor in good healing. Sexual intercourse should not be resumed for at least three weeks.

What is recovery like after a labiaplasty?

Care is local, straightforward, and explained before surgery: this is an operation whose recovery is shorter than most patients fear. The sutures used are absorbable. The surgeon sees you within seven days, then between day ten and day fourteen, and the anaesthetist checks that the prescribed pain relief is sufficient in the early days. Appointments are set before surgery. They sit within the practice's shared post-operative care.

When is the result final?

The result is final after three months.

What are the risks?

Besides those linked to general anaesthesia, the main risks are healing problems, such as wound breakdown, which rarely requires a further operation. Infection and haematoma are fairly rare.

A temporary change in sensation may occur.

The other complications are set out in detail in the SoFCPRE information leaflet.

Is labiaplasty reimbursed?

Reimbursement may be discussed where there is established enlargement with documented functional impact, after prior authorisation. A purely aesthetic indication does not give entitlement to reimbursement.

Frequently asked questions

At what age can the operation be performed?

Once pubertal development is complete. In a patient who is a minor, parental consent is required and the indication is examined with particular caution.

Is sensation altered?

The technique preserves the sensitive areas. A temporary change in sensation may occur afterwards, and most often resolves.

Last updated: August 2026 · Medical content reviewed by Dr Benjamin Pulvermacker, board-qualified plastic surgeon in Paris 16.

Pour qui cette intervention convient — et pour qui elle ne convient pas

Elle convient aux femmes gênées par une hypertrophie des petites lèvres — frottements, douleurs à l'effort ou lors des rapports, gêne vestimentaire — ou par une asymétrie marquée, quelle que soit son origine. La gêne fonctionnelle ou psychologique réelle est le cœur de l'indication. Elle ne convient pas lorsqu'elle répond à une norme supposée plutôt qu'à une gêne : l'anatomie vulvaire est extrêmement variable, et le dire fait partie de la consultation, en toute confidentialité.

Limites et risques spécifiques

Risques propres : retard de cicatrisation ou petite désunion (zone humide et mobile), asymétrie résiduelle, hypersensibilité transitoire, correction excessive impossible à compenser, raison pour laquelle la résection reste prudente. Les rapports sexuels, les bains et le sport attendent trois à quatre semaines. L'intervention est réalisable sous anesthésie locale approfondie ou générale, en ambulatoire, et n'affecte ni la sensibilité clitoridienne ni la fonction sexuelle.