Clitoroplasty is a surgical procedure that either changes the appearance of a person’s clitoris or creates a clitoris. With more than 8,000 nerve endings, the clitoris is the center of pleasure in the female reproductive anatomy. It is a small knot of tissue located in the upper part of the vulva (external genitalia).
What can clitoroplasty do?
- Reduction in the size of the clitoris: The intervention is desired to achieve a preferred aesthetic appearance or to correct clitoral hypertrophy.
- Clitoris repositioning: Sometimes surgery is necessary to improve functionality or how the genital area of women looks.
- Creating a clitoris: For people who were not born with a clitoris but have other female genital structures, they often resort to clitoroplasty.
- Change in the appearance of the clitoris: This may be desired for aesthetic or functional reasons.
There are several reasons why a person resorts to clitoroplasty, including:
- Congenital lack of clitoris: If a person is born without a clitoris but has other female genital structures.
- Improving the appearance of the clitoris: Usually, this involves reducing the size to achieve a more pleasant or “normalized” appearance.
- Gender affirmation: People who want their genitals to align more clearly with their gender identity opt for clitoral creation or modification.
- Correction of genital mutilation: This includes correcting the damage caused by female circumcision, restoring genital functionality and appearance.
What conditions does clitoroplasty treat?
The surgery can be performed on children, adolescents and adults to treat certain congenital conditions (conditions that you have since birth):
- Clitoriomegaly: Clitoriomegaly is the medical term for an enlarged clitoris that looks inflamed. A larger-than-average clitoris may be present from birth or develop later in life. Most commonly, androgen exposure causes clitoromegaly. In this case, clitoroplasty helps people with this condition to achieve a clitoris of more typical sizes and shapes.
- Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (HAC): CAH is an endocrine condition that can cause a person designated female at birth to have an enlarged, penis-like clitoris. Clitoroplasty shapes the tissue into a more typical-looking clitoris.
- Female pseudohermaphroditism: This is a condition in which a person is designated female at birth because they have ovaries and other female internal genital structures, but the external genitalia appear as male (they have a penis or scrotum). Someone with this condition may opt for clitoroplasty as part of a feminization surgery.
- Cosmetic clitoroplasty: A cosmetic clitoroplasty reduces or repositions the clitoris. This type of procedure is most common in adults whose clitoris has changed in some way. Usually, a person wants a cosmetic clitoroplasty because the clitoris affects their sexual pleasure, although there may be other reasons.
- Gender affirmation surgery: Gender affirmation procedures help people whose sex assigned at birth differs from their gender identity. For example, a transgender woman may want to have female genitalia. In these cases, a surgeon usually performs clitoroplasty as part of vaginoplasty (vaginoplasty is surgery that creates a vagina).
What are the risks in clitoroplasty?
Clitorioplasty is a controversial procedure. For this reason, there are different opinions on the necessity of this intervention and the extent to which it is justified. Some doctors believe that the risk of loss of nerve sensitivity outweighs the cosmetic benefits, if the underlying condition does not cause pain. In addition to nerve damage, there is also a risk of developing chronic pain after surgery, which can be very difficult to bear. Other risks include:
- Vaginal stenosis: This is a complication in which the vagina becomes narrowed, which can lead to discomfort and difficulty during sexual or medical activities.
- Urinary incontinence: This refers to the involuntary loss of urine, which can considerably affect quality of life and often requires additional treatment.
- Urethrovaginal fistula: It is an abnormal connection between the urethra and the vagina, which can cause urine to leak into the vagina, requiring subsequent surgical correction.
- Bleeding or bruising: These are common risks associated with any surgery, which can lead to an inflamed clitoris or other additional complications if not managed correctly.
Rules before surgery
- Preoperatively, patients should undergo a gynaecological examination, including vaginal discharge tests such as a smear and Pap smear, to minimise the risk of postoperative infection and ensure rapid and safe healing.
- The usual and gynecological tests must be recent, performed no more than 7 days before the intervention.
- At the time of surgery, the patient should not be menstruating.
Results and recovery after clitoroplasty
The recovery time after clitoroplasty can vary depending on the complexity of the procedure and the individual healing process. Your doctor will provide you with specific post-operative care instructions. These will include guidance on genital care and any restrictions related to activities, such as exercise. You can usually expect a full recovery within six to 12 weeks.
It is recommended that you abstain from sexual activity for at least six weeks. In addition to this, the doctor will schedule a consultation to evaluate the surgical result and the progress of clitoral healing.
Clitoroplasty surgery is often accompanied by other interventions, such as ItAbioplasty and mommy makeover.
How long does clitoroplasty surgery take?
Clitoroplasty lasts between one hour and two hours, depending on the complexity of the case, the reason why it is done and the surgeon’s experience.
Watch this video on the Soma Clinic Youtube channel to find out more about what Dr. Nicoleta Ferariu has to say about the genitals:
References
Clitoroplasty – My Cleveland Clinic
Clitoroplasty – Vejthani Hospital
Clitoroplasty – Aesthetica Cosmetic Surgery and Laser Center
