our advanced civilization marches on to new triumphs:
By Lisa Rapaport and Elizabeth Lopatto
May 25 (Bloomberg) -- Women are increasingly seeking cosmetic surgery to make their vaginas match pornographic pictures, says a report today in the British Medical Journal.
The U.K.'s National Health Service in 2004 and 2005 paid for elective surgery on 800 women who had the size of their labia reduced. That's more than double the number of procedures funded by the government six years earlier, the commentary said.
Women primarily want the operations, known as genitoplasty, to acquire so-called ``designer vaginas,'' the journal report says, though some patients cited lifestyle reasons, such as an inability to wear tight clothing, ride a bicycle comfortably, or participate in certain sexual practices.
``I've been doing this over 13 years, and it has become much more popular,'' said Robert Rho, a plastic surgeon at the Labiaplasty Master Surgery Center of New York, in a telephone interview today. ``We're doing more cases in recent years. There's been more exposure in the media, so people are more aware of the surgery.''
Rho said he began doing surgeries when one of his patients complained she was having discomfort while exercising, a common reason for the surgery. Many also request it because they are self-conscious about their appearance, he said.
Bernard H. Stern, a surgeon with Emerald Lakes Professional Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, said that his patients told him they had better sex because they felt more comfortable.
``It's more based on the self-esteem issue than how the labia look,'' he said. ``Even though nobody on the street sees it, they feel more self-assured.''
The British Medical Journal commentary argues that appearance may not be a good enough reason to undergo this type of medical procedure.
`Extreme and Unproved'
``Surgery is an extreme and unproved intervention in this instance and it should be thought of as the last resort, not the first port of call,'' said the authors of the report, Sarah Creighton, a gynecologist at Middlesex Center, UCL Institute for Women's Health in London, and Lih Mei Liao, a clinical psychologist at the institute.
The surgery usually involves shortening or changing the organ's outer lips, or labia, but can also include reducing the hood of skin covering the clitoris or shortening the vagina itself, the commentary says. Patients usually take six weeks to heal, Rho said. He tells his patients to expect pain and swelling for two to three weeks.
``Some women brought along images to illustrate the desired appearance, usually from advertisements or pornography that may have been digitally altered,'' the British Medical Journal authors wrote. Risks include loss of sensitivity to the genitals, and the benefits are unclear, they wrote.
Stern said he rarely encounters women who bring in photos of what they'd like to look like. Rather, he says, he takes pictures of the women's genitals and uses digital imaging tools to show them the limits of what can be done. He charges $5,500 to $6,500 for the surgery he said.
Most women he sees are between the ages of 28 and 32, and he doesn't perform surgeries on children under 16, he said. His patients haven't heard about the surgery from pornography, Stern said. They usually cite shows like Nip/Tuck, or news stories from the media.
Rho, who charges $4,900 for labiaplasty, said the risks depend on the physician. Patients with inexperienced doctors risk scarring, infection and bleeding, he said.
To contact the reporter on this story: Lisa Rapaport in New York at Lrapaport1@bloomberg.net
Last Updated: May 25, 2007 15:16 EDT
By Lisa Rapaport and Elizabeth Lopatto
May 25 (Bloomberg) -- Women are increasingly seeking cosmetic surgery to make their vaginas match pornographic pictures, says a report today in the British Medical Journal.
The U.K.'s National Health Service in 2004 and 2005 paid for elective surgery on 800 women who had the size of their labia reduced. That's more than double the number of procedures funded by the government six years earlier, the commentary said.
Women primarily want the operations, known as genitoplasty, to acquire so-called ``designer vaginas,'' the journal report says, though some patients cited lifestyle reasons, such as an inability to wear tight clothing, ride a bicycle comfortably, or participate in certain sexual practices.
``I've been doing this over 13 years, and it has become much more popular,'' said Robert Rho, a plastic surgeon at the Labiaplasty Master Surgery Center of New York, in a telephone interview today. ``We're doing more cases in recent years. There's been more exposure in the media, so people are more aware of the surgery.''
Rho said he began doing surgeries when one of his patients complained she was having discomfort while exercising, a common reason for the surgery. Many also request it because they are self-conscious about their appearance, he said.
Bernard H. Stern, a surgeon with Emerald Lakes Professional Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, said that his patients told him they had better sex because they felt more comfortable.
``It's more based on the self-esteem issue than how the labia look,'' he said. ``Even though nobody on the street sees it, they feel more self-assured.''
The British Medical Journal commentary argues that appearance may not be a good enough reason to undergo this type of medical procedure.
`Extreme and Unproved'
``Surgery is an extreme and unproved intervention in this instance and it should be thought of as the last resort, not the first port of call,'' said the authors of the report, Sarah Creighton, a gynecologist at Middlesex Center, UCL Institute for Women's Health in London, and Lih Mei Liao, a clinical psychologist at the institute.
The surgery usually involves shortening or changing the organ's outer lips, or labia, but can also include reducing the hood of skin covering the clitoris or shortening the vagina itself, the commentary says. Patients usually take six weeks to heal, Rho said. He tells his patients to expect pain and swelling for two to three weeks.
``Some women brought along images to illustrate the desired appearance, usually from advertisements or pornography that may have been digitally altered,'' the British Medical Journal authors wrote. Risks include loss of sensitivity to the genitals, and the benefits are unclear, they wrote.
Stern said he rarely encounters women who bring in photos of what they'd like to look like. Rather, he says, he takes pictures of the women's genitals and uses digital imaging tools to show them the limits of what can be done. He charges $5,500 to $6,500 for the surgery he said.
Most women he sees are between the ages of 28 and 32, and he doesn't perform surgeries on children under 16, he said. His patients haven't heard about the surgery from pornography, Stern said. They usually cite shows like Nip/Tuck, or news stories from the media.
Rho, who charges $4,900 for labiaplasty, said the risks depend on the physician. Patients with inexperienced doctors risk scarring, infection and bleeding, he said.
To contact the reporter on this story: Lisa Rapaport in New York at Lrapaport1@bloomberg.net
Last Updated: May 25, 2007 15:16 EDT
