Sacramento California. Plastic Surgery is an artful practice of medicine that addresses physical appearance. We are often asked to accentuate the normal or reduce an unwanted feature or aspect of the appearance. Plastic surgery is commonly thought of when thinking about breast augmentation, tummy tucks, rhinoplasty, liposuction, or face lifts. More recently Labioplasty and Monsplasty have become other areas of aesthetic plastic surgery. Society seems to have become more aware of the aesthetics of the female genitalia. Whether this new awareness is due to an increase of explicit material available through the internet or the increased popularity of genital hair removal, we have noticed a more women seeking surgery on their external genitalia over the past four years. If one feels they have an unattractive genital region, fear and anxiety may lead to avoidance of intimacy, wearing of certain clothes, or other pleasurable activities. Plastic surgery offers one options for addressing these concerns. Whether for labial reduction or enhancement (labioplasty) or a mons lift (monsplasty) for reduction of the excess tissue below the inguinal crease and above the labial cleft plastic surgery offers options for one so afflicted. The procedures can also be combined as well if so desired. The mons pubis is the area of tissue that is often covered with hair between groin creases above the introitus and below the abdominal skin that when enlarged will bury or cover the labia. Excessive mons pubis often creates issues with hygiene and clothing as the excessive tissue can often be seen through clothing. Improvements towards the aesthetic female ideal such as labia minor lips that are not seen beyond the labia majora, a clitoral hood with few folds, a full labia majora without excess skin or that doesn’t bulge through tight clothes, or a mons pubis that doesn’t protrude through clothes or hide the labia.
For women whom have experienced some weight loss or whom have gained and then lost weight in pregnancy this area below the belt line can enlarge and create an unsightly bulge. Other causes of mons excess include lipodystrophy (excessive fat growth), hormonal therapies (birth control), aging and congenital factors. Monsplasty or a mons pubis lift can address this area – tightening and lifting the excessive tissues and reattaching the skin and soft tissue to the anterior abdominal wall. Liposuction of the Mons and labia majora is often utilized as well to address any excessive fat. A labial majora reduction (through excision) is often combined with the monsplasty on occasion as this area can enlarge as well need to be addressed as well especially once it is more visible following monsplasty reduction.
Surgery for the mons lift is usually done through a horizontal incision in the same areas as a tummy tuck or c-section and can be combined with a mini-tummy tuck or abdominoplasty as well. The key to the lift is to keep the escutcheon of natural length with the anterior labial commissure at the level of the pubis symphysis and to blend the reduction into the surround areas. The skin lifting with escutcheon plication to the rectus fascia combined with labia majoria reduction and possible liposuction or other body contouring procedure will often increase the natural aesthetic beauty of this region in a more harmonious fashion. Recovery can take several weeks and a drain is often required to reduce the accompanied swelling and bruising. In general most are very happy to have the bulge removed and the area tightened.
