Long-term Functional and Aesthetic Outcomes of Labiaplasty: A Review of the Literature

The incidence of female genital cosmetic surgery (FGCS), and specifically labiaplasty, is on the rise. Common motivators for labiaplasty include hygiene concerns, functional impairment, difficulties with physical and sexual activity, and dissatisfaction with genital appearance, amongst others. However, there have been few reports on long-term functional and aesthetic outcomes and complications of labiaplasty. The aim of this literature review was to report on long-term outcomes of labiaplasty, as defined as ≥1 year post-operatively, to inform safety and efficacy recommendations for the procedure. A comprehensive literature review was conducted on Pubmed and Embase from inception to December 1, 2023 following PRISMA guidelines. Articles were selected according to predetermined eligibility criteria. A manual search was performed to identify additional relevant studies. Nine studies reported on the long-term postoperative complications associated with labiaplasty, with a cumulative total of 748 patients. The most commonly reported complications included postoperative asymmetry (n=45, 6.02%), scarring (n=14, 1.87%), and the need for revision surgery (n=42, 5.61%). Of note, the majority of patients (n=621 of 748) were not reported to have any postoperative complications. From the seven studies that examined psychological outcomes associated with labiaplasty, all studies reported improvement in sustained genital appearance scores as well as aesthetic and sexual satisfaction in the long-term.