You, Your Emotions, and Your Vaginaplasty & Labiaplasty
While story after story will show you that a vaginaplasty and / or labiaplasty will offer many improvements in a woman’s quality of life, there are unquestioningly some emotional changes that come for some people. It’s good to understand these potential emotional issues ahead of time.
First, let’s understand the reason for the emotional changes. A lot of effort goes into making the decision for a vaginaplasty or labiaplasty. Anticipation of the big day often brings on a lot of stress. Recovery brings its own issues, whether the emotion of loss of the bodily imperfection or a family or friends showing their disapproval. For example, your parents might think it’s inappropriate to have surgery in the area of the genitalia…..which causes guilt or tension.
Postoperative depression is common after any surgery–and these cosmetic procedures are no exception. Symptoms are somewhat akin to those which come with post-partum depression. A woman often feels that she’s getting disapproving looks from others, which brings on feelings of anger or isolation.
People with a predisposition toward anxiety, depression, personality disorders, and similar emotional issues are more apt to undergo an emotional letdown after a labiaplasty or vaginaplasty. Fortunately, today’s plastic surgeons offer both preoperative as well as postoperative counseling to help you learn to get through these challenging situations.
The best candidates for either labiaplasty or vaginaplasty are women who feel uncomfortable with the physical defects that can be improved through the procedure. While it’s true that the procedure might improve her self-image, it’s best if she already has a healthy sense of self esteem before the procedure.
It’s also important that the woman have realistic expectations. The procedure might well impact the perception of others–especially sexual partners. But be realistic. Understand that no plastic surgery of any sort is going to improve your entire life. The best reason to have the surgery done is to improve how you feel physically, and to give yourself a more vibrant, active life.
A good plastic surgeon will screen his patients to identify those who might experience some negative emotional changes. While emotional issues don’t always mean a person will be refused treatment, it could mean that some cautionary measures will have to be taken to ensure that the patient stays safe–physically and psychologically. If a surgeon determines that a prospective patient is a high risk for emotional problems, he might counsel the patient or refer her to another counselor before he agrees to do the surgery. Those who are undergoing stressful life changes (for instance, divorce or a job loss) might not be recommended for a procedure at that time. Likewise, those who say they are seeking the procedure to achieve some level of perfection might be counseled that this is not the best reason for the surgery. And finally, if a patient is determined to be mentally ill, the treatment plan might need to be done in conjunction and cooperation with the patient’s psychologist / psychiatrist.
