A Brief History of the Labiaplasty

If you think the Labiaplasty is a brand new procedure, think again.  While only recently gaining mainstream attention, the surgery has been around for decades.  To better understand how the Labiaplasty has come to be what it is today, take a walk through the history of Labia-restoring procedures.

• 1975:  An Ohio surgeon, Dr. James Burt, published the book, “The Surgery of Love”, the first of its kind to describe the Vaginoplasty and Hoodectomy procedures.  In his work, Dr. Burt described a woman’s vagina as “structurally inadequate for intercourse.”

• 1978:  The European Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology published the first ever paper mentioning a medical Labiaplasty, entitled “Benign Enlargement of the Labia Minora”.

• 1984:  Medical literature begins to mention cosmetic vaginal surgery; namely in the Journal of Plastic Reconstructive Surgery

• 1989:  Now referred to as the “Love Doctor”, Dr. James Burt, the author of Surgery of Love, loses his medical license.  A group of women sued the physician, claiming he had altered their vulvas without informed consent.

• 1996: Dr. David Matlock performs the first Vaginal Rejuvenation, which he later patents and trademarks.

• 1998-2000 Vaginoplasty and Labiaplasty become the key subjects of mainstream articles in Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar, and Marie Claire.

• 2005:  Dr. Alinsod, a Long Beach surgeon, invents the “Barbie”, or a smooth genital area with no visible labia minora.

• 2007:  The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists addressed the procedure by publishing a statement noting that women should be informed of both the long-term benefits from a Labiaplasty, as well as the potential risks and complications.

• 2011: The British Journal of Medicine reports that 40% of all women sampled desired some sort of Vaginal Rejuvenation.

• 2012: Close to 2,000 Vaginal Rejuvenation procedures were performed in the United States.  The American Society for Plastic Surgery no longer keeps statistics on the procedure, but the numbers continue to rise rapidly every year.

Dr. Paul Vitenas has been performing the Labiaplasty and Vaginal Rejuvenation procedures for over 23 years.  During this time, he has developed his own, innovative techniques, designed to provide women outstanding results with the lowest chance for complications.  If you are thinking a Labiaplasty or Vaginoplasty may be the right procedure for you, contact our office at (281) 606-0007.  A confidential consultation appointment can be set for you to discuss your personal situation with Dr. Vitenas.