Whether you’re looking to smooth out your skin or make a body adjustment to boost your confidence, there’s probably a procedure for it. While cosmetic enhancements such as Botox or liposuction are well-known and trusted in the medical community, however, there is much more confusion (and controversy) about certain vaginal procedures that promise to turn back the clock, commonly referred to as vaginal rejuvenation.
“Despite the widespread use of the term vaginal resuscitation, it is not an actual medical term but rather a phrase often used in marketing,” explains Karyn Eilber, MD, a urogynecologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Dr. Eilber and her colleagues Victoria Scott, MD, and Jennifer Anger, MD—the “Down There Doctors”—co-authored the published vaginal resuscitation research and the book A woman’s guide to her pelvic floor: What’s going on down there.
Talking to me The healthy @The reader’s summarythe Down There Doctors separate fact from fiction when it comes to all things vaginal resuscitation.
So what is vaginal resuscitation?
In their research, doctors interviewed both health professionals and non-health professionals, finding that many believed that vaginal rejuvenation referred to a laser procedure to tighten the vagina. “Others thought it was a surgical procedure to improve the cosmetic appearance of the genitals,” says Dr. Eilber. Lasers and surgeries are both vaginal rejuvenation options — but there’s more to it.
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Non-surgical vaginal resuscitation procedures
Energy-based vaginal devices (lasers and radio frequencies) help preserve the vaginal lining, which can lose elasticity and strength with age. But a laser procedure won’t make a woman “tighter” or fix problems like urinary leakage, Dr. Anger explains. “True vaginal reconstruction may be needed for this,” she says. “Unfortunately, many advertisements are not accurate.”
Here’s what energy-based devices can do: “These devices deliver controlled energy to the surface of the skin to stimulate the tissue to repair and remodel, ultimately becoming stronger and healthier,” says Dr. Scott. The goal is to improve the quality of vaginal tissue, which may help reduce vaginal dryness and pain during sex associated with menopause, according to research by doctors published in Menopause in 2020.
However, it is important to note that these devices are not currently approved for vaginal resuscitation by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which has warned against “misleading marketing of unproven treatments.” Statement 2018.
Adds Dr. Scott: Although not a “procedure”, there is good evidence that pelvic floor muscle training (Kegel exercises) can help achieve many of the desired results from vaginal rejuvenation.
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Surgical procedures of vaginal resuscitation
When it comes to surgical enhancements, several cosmetic options aim to improve the appearance of the genitals. Dr. Scott says the most common vaginal resuscitation procedures include:
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Labiaplasty: Modification of the labia (the folds on the outside of the vulva/genitals), usually to reduce size.
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Clitoral hood reduction or “clitectomy”: May be done to reduce the width and length of the fold of skin surrounding the clitoris.
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Colpoplasty and perineal bleeding: The most common way to “tighten” the vagina by reducing the size of the opening. Colpoplasty can also help with pelvic floor issues or incontinence due to childbirth.
Emergency or medically necessary surgeries do not fall under the umbrella of “vaginal resuscitation,” adds Dr. Eilber.
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Pros and cons of vaginal resuscitation
In general, most bays do not need a “facelift”. The size, shape, and appearance of the vagina varies widely from woman to woman, regardless of body size, body type, or demographics. International Urogynecology Journal. Previous research also says that a appearance of the bay it has no effect on sexual function, desire, arousal, orgasm, pain and satisfaction.
However, some women may have vaginal problems that affect their quality of life, such as the effects of having children, cancer treatment, or a structural abnormality. In such cases, a vaginal resuscitation procedure can help some issues.
Still, the term vaginal resuscitation encompasses many different procedures that have individual risks and benefits. “It’s important to know that few procedures cause harm, but a woman needs to know exactly what she’s done and what the benefits are,” says Dr. Anger. “Usually if it sounds too good to be true, it is.”
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Sources
People:
Karyn Eilber, MD, Professor of Urology and Associate Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Program Director for the Cedars-Sinai Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship Training Program (FPMRS)
Jennifer Anger, MD, Professor of Urology and Vice Chair for Research at the University of California, San Diego Department of Urology
Victoria Scott, MD, Attending Urologist at Optum in Los Angeles, CA
Periodically:
Menopause: “Vaginal laser treatment of menopausal genitourinary syndrome: does the evidence support the FDA’s safety announcement?”
International Urogynecology Journal: “Quantitative analyzes of variability in normal sinus shape and dimension in MR images”.
International Urogynecology Journal: “Does vaginal size affect sexual activity and function?”
Websites:
FDA: “Statement by FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, Regarding Efforts to Protect Women’s Health from Misleading Health Claims and Significant Risks Associated with Devices Marketed for Use in Medical Procedures for ‘Vaginal Rejuvenation'” “
