Exploring the motivations for pursuing operative labiaplasty in Chinese patients

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the motivations for Chinese patients seeking operative labiaplasty. Data was collected from January 2018 to December 2019 using a standardized questionnaire, which examined factors influencing patients’ motivations, including aesthetic and functional reasons, as well as psychological factors. Of the 216 patients who responded to the questionnaire within 24 months, 22.2% cited cosmetic reasons, while 38.4% reported functional discomfort. Both functional and aesthetic reasons were cited by 35.2% of patients, while 4.2% reported psychological troubles. It is noteworthy that patients who sought surgical intervention for physical complaints did so as a personal decision, and only 6.3% of patients seeking labiaplasty for cosmetic reasons were influenced by their sexual partner. Additionally, 7.9% and 66.7% of patients with other motivations were influenced by their male spouse, while 2.6% and 33.3% were influenced by the media. In conclusion, this study suggests that most Chinese patients seek labiaplasty for functional reasons, with few being influenced by sexual partners or media.

Impact statement

• What is already known on this subject? The growing demand and interest in labiaplasty surgery has been widely acknowledged. Existing reports from western countries have highlighted that aesthetic concerns are the primary motivations behind patients' requests for this surgical intervention. However, there is limited information available regarding the factors influencing Chinese patients' decisions to undergo labiaplasty, as China has a large population. Therefore, the specific reasons behind Chinese patients' requests for labiaplasty are not well understood.

• What do the results of this study add? This clinical study focuses on the perspectives of eastern women regarding labia reduction surgery, contributing to the existing literature on this topic. Notably, this study is one of the few that examines the request for surgical reduction of hypertrophy of the labia minora and highlights that not all patients undergo surgical intervention purely for personal reasons.

• What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? The implications of these findings for clinical practice and further research are significant. Given the increasing demand for labiaplasty, gynecologists in Australia, Western Europe, the United States, and New Zealand are likely to encounter a rising number of women seeking labial reduction surgery. Similarly, labiaplasty has become an increasingly popular cosmetic surgery procedure in China. This study's results differ from previous research, which suggested that functional concerns were the primary motivation for women seeking to undergo labiaplasty. The request for pursuing labiaplasty is influenced not only by personal preferences but also by external factors. Therefore, a comprehensive evaluation before considering the procedure is crucial, and if practitioners are unsure, multidisciplinary specialized evaluation should be considered.

Keywords:

• Labiaplasty
• labia minora
• labia reduction
• motivation

Acknowledgments

The authors are very grateful to the patients who completed the survey.

Ethics statement

Ethics committee approval was unnecessary due to the nature of the study.

Disclosure statement

The authors have no financial interest to declare in relation to the content of this article.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.