Vaginoplasty Risks and Complications

Find Vaginoplasty Surgery Clinics in London & UK »

All surgery contains risks, and ought not to be undertaken lightly.  A vaginoplasty makes changes to one of the most sensitive areas of the body, and as a result surgeons are very careful when performing the surgery.  Complications are rare when having a vaginoplasty and generally the surgery is performed with no problems and a good result.

Scarring

Any scars that occur are usually not visible, being placed within the vagina.  Sometimes, depending on the extent of the tightening taking place there may have to be some alterations outside the vagina, but in these instances your surgeon will take care to ensure that they fall within the natural creases of your body.  Over time any scars will become less apparent. 

Infection

All surgery that involves incisions contains a risk of infection.  Your surgeon and clinic will automatically do everything within the power to reduce this risk, keeping a clean environment and giving you advice on post-surgery care.  Some infections can be very serious, but all, if caught early enough, can be easily treated using antibiotics.  If you have any concerns about a possible infection then it is important to seek medical advice as soon as possible.

Bloody Loss

Especially when a vaginoplasty is conducted using a scalpel, there is a slight concern with blood loss or excessive bleeding.  Some surgeons might take some of your blood before the surgery in case of excessive blood loss, and you will be recommended to stop taking any medication that thins the blood or might contribute to you loosing blood during the surgery.

Blood Clots

Bleeding can lead to the creation of blood clots, which in turn can cause serious problems if they become loose and then get stuck somewhere in the body.  This is a risk of most surgery, and can be avoided by not smoking for a while before your surgery, and by taking all the advice given by your surgeon. 

Vaginal Collapse

This is when the new vagina shape gives way and needs reconstruction or even sometimes removal.  This could be due to the stent not being used properly.

Incorrect Vaginal Shape

Sometimes mistakes have been made that have made the vagina too shallow or too tight for sexual intercourse to allow pleasurable sexual activity. 

Nerve Damage

Sometimes the incisions and invasive nature of the surgery affects the nerves around the vaginal area, leading to either a loss of sensation or hypersensitivity.  This has obvious implications, and could mean discomfort for a while after surgery.  Usually this does dissipate over time.

Unbalanced Lubrication

There have been reports that women either don’t naturally produce enough lubrication for sexual activity and have to use synthetic lubrication, or that they produce too much and have to wear pads in their underwear following a vaginoplasty.

Bowel Puncture

This can sometimes occur as an accident during the surgery and will need further surgery to amend.

It is important to realise that these risks are very rare, and normally vaginoplasty is completed without incident with a good, satisfactory result.  Surgeons say that there is a 1% to 3% reporting of complications, which means that it is comparatively as safe as driving a car or even being pregnant.

---

« Vaginoplasty Recovery Combining Vaginoplasty with other Surgery »