Labia Majora Fat Transfer

• Transfer of your own fat to a deflated labia majora

Patients should refer to our page on fat transfer to further understand the concept of fat transfer and volume enhancements.

Labia majora fat transfer describes a procedure to enhance the appearance of a deflated labia majora by transferring your own fat to add volume to the labia majora.  

The labia majora, like most tissue in your body will lose its fat volume with age.  Loss of volume in any tissue can be visualized by imagining the visual result of deflating a balloon;  the tissue will lose its turgor and appear to sag.  Adding back volume will improve this appearance.  

Fat is first obtained by a gentle liposuction.  The fat can be taken from anywhere in the body but is most often obtained from the mons pubis or the abdomen for convenience.  The fat is gently processed to remove any impurities, brought up into cosmetic syringes, and injected into the labia majora.   Patients with significant skin excesses may require the excision of skin if there if too much skin remains after the fat transfer. 

The procedure willy take about 1 to 2 hours and is typically performed in the office under local anesthesia and oral sedation.  Some patients will choose to have the procedure under general anesthesia at the surgery center.

You are a candidate for a labia majora fat transfer if you feel that your labia majora appears to have deflated with age. 

The nonsurgical options to adding volume to any area include cosmetic fillers such as sculptra, juvederm, and voluma.  These are manufactured injectable products that are extremely convenient but more temporary.  

Cosmetic fillers are an excellent alternative to a fat transfer for plumping up tissue.  They are however, more temporary and more expensive depending on the requried volume.  

Dr. Chang will help you make with your surgical options during your consultation.

• Add volume to the labia majora
• Tighten sagging skin

Recovery from fat transfer surgery will depend partially depend on whether your procedure will require any skin excision.  Patients who have only a fat transfer can expect:

• All patients will be required to wear a compressive garment for 4 weeks
• Pain is tolerable, but you might benefit from taking the prescribed narcotic pain medication for 3-5 days  
• Final results should not be expected for at least 3-6 months
• Intercourse should be avoided for 4-6 weeks
• Sutures if any are removed in 10 to 14 days
• Strenuous exercise should also be avoided for 2 to 4 weeks to help in the recovery process.
• Most patients will take 3 to 7  days off of work

As with any surgery, there are associated risks.  Loss of any or all of the transferred fat is possible and at your own risk.  On average, patients will keep about 70-80% of any transferred fat.  Only you can decide whether the procedure can achieve your goals and whether the recovery and risk profile are acceptable to you.  

• Local bleeding or bruising for up 2 months
• Prolonged swelling greater than 2 months
• Seroma fluid collection
• Infection particularly from the absorbable sutures
• Loss of sensation although rare
• Widened or thickened scar
• Asymmetry (unevenness between two sides)
• Delayed wound healing with skin or tissue necrosis
• Extra skin at the ends of the incisions
• Under-correction
• Over-correction

Unsatisfactory results that may require additional procedures.  Patients will generally be responsible for any associated facility fees. 

The price of any procedure is reflected in the skill and quality of your surgeon.  You are paying for the skill, quality, and technique that Dr. Chang provides for your procedure

When done well, fat tranfer surgery will significantly enhance your physical appearance, so it is important to concentrate on having a skilled surgeon with years of training, like Dr. Chang, rather than a low price. To help make surgery affordable, Aesthetica Cosmetic Surgery & Laser Center will help you find low-interest financing.

• Labiaplasty
• Mons pubis lift
• Clitoraplasty
• Mommy makeover

Many women choose to have fat transfer surgery because loss of volume in many areas of the face and body. The procedure, however, is viewed as a cosmetic surgery by most health insurance companies; they will therefore not cover the procedure.

Many surgeon offices provide payment plans to help spread the cost of surgeries that aren’t covered by insurance.