New Trial Testing Labial Implants May Offer Improvement for Botched Labiaplasty Surgeries

Call it a “botched labiaplasty,” “labial amputation”, or “avoidable unintentional female genital mutilation,” it’s a major problem. When asked to fix it, there’s little I can do unless there’s a robust amount of loose clitoral hood skin to bring down as a flap. If an inadequately trained surgeon performed your labiaplasty, there’s a good chance you’re out of luck. Or at least that’s the way things have been.

Botched Labiaplasty Left Little Hope

In the past, if almost all your labial tissue was practically amputated, then reestablishing any sort of anatomic barrier to your flat, smooth, exposed and open vulvar vestibule was almost impossible. Some doctors tried using fillers and fat transfer to the area. This was unsuccessful because they wouldn’t stay put in the areas where they’d been injected. No procedure to re-fashion lips out of remaining tissue had been attempted. Unless a generous amount of clitoral hood skin remained that could be brought down to cover your denuded labial area, there was no hope.

A New Approach to Botched Labiaplasty Revision

Recently I heard about some exciting efforts in the U.K. to fix this particular botched labiaplasty problem. After studying it, I designed a new approach that offers real hope. The technique uses presently-available FDA-approved oral lip implants. They’re made by the Texas-based company called SurgiSil and sold under the name “Perma™ Facial Implants” in the U.S. The product is tubular, tapered at the ends, and made from lightweight medical grade silicone.

To use them, I stack two 5X65 mm implants on top of each other and suture them together. This provides elevation. Then I insert them into a narrow tunnel I make underneath the skin. This tunnel is just outside of where the amputated labia once was. The width, length and height of the stacked products mean that the replacement labia are consistent in size with those of a normal woman with small/modest-sized labia.

It’s important to remember that this procedure uses facial lip implants in an experimental way that is different from what they were designed for. This is called “off-label usage.” Still, in many ways it is similar. I feel that the trial is safe and potentially worth it. The implant material has proven to be non-reactive and, when inserted properly, doesn’t migrate significantly. This is probably because when it’s used to fix a botched labiaplasty, it’s being placed in tissue similar to that for which it was originally designed (upper and lower facial lips.)

For women who want to undergo this botched labiaplasty trial, I plan to pre-treat the area for 2-3 months with estrogen + testosterone cream. This should improve the potential for success, as it enriches the tissue. I’m also considering the use of PRP (platelet-rich plasma) as a pre- or co-therapy to encourage tissue growth and blood supply.

Contact us for Information on the Botched Labiaplasty Revision Trial

The implants and materials used in this procedure cost $1,400 alone. I’m hoping to keep the costs down during a trial period. I plan on reconstructing several women utilizing this brand-new technique. I’ll continue by following their progress over a span of 1 year from surgery. If you’re involved in litigation, your costs may be recovered through the litigation process. For more information and to register for the trial, call my office at 1- (530) 753-2787, or email Nicole at [email protected].