Intimate problems that women are too shy to talk about are now easily solved
A lot of women remain unsatisfied with their sexual life for years and even decades. For many of them it does not even occur that problems such as vaginal dryness, too big or too small labia, loose vagina and urinary incontinence today can be easily solved. It is important to overcome fear and talk about it with your gynaecologist and aesthetic gynaecology specialists.
To discuss aesthetic gynaecology and the significant problems that can often be solved within half an hour, we met with the founders of Lithuanian Aesthetic Gynaecology Association: gynaecologist, midwife, Associate Professor doc.. Daiva Bartkevičienė and plastic, re-constructive and aesthetic surgery specialist dr. Dainius Balčiūnas.
– What exactly is aesthetic gynaecology?
Doc. Bartkevičienė: Aesthetic gynaecology is a new subject that has only been discussed during the last 10 years. The United States have mostly been at the forefront of it, the majority of aesthetic gynaecology procedures are being performed there; out of all European countries – Italy is the leading country. When I decided to start specializing in this field a couple of years ago many of my colleagues were sceptical about it. However, today even the former sceptics often call me for consultations and recommend me to the patients.
Dr. Balčiūnas: Intimate surgery can be traced back to Ancient Greece. It’s strange to me, but because of prejudice and lack of knowledge many people think that aesthetic gynaecology can be compared to other procedure that can improve the appearance but are not medically necessary. What they don’t realize is that this area of gynaecology and surgery is directly related to female psychological health, self-esteem and quality of life.
– What kind of women are your clients and with what problems do they usually approach you?
Dr. Balčiūnas: Women may need aesthetic surgery of intimate areas because of innate defects or deformations as well as age related changes. Moreover, intimate areas and vaginal anatomy can undergo drastic changes due to pregnancies and childbirth.
Doc. Bartkevičienė: Women of many age groups contact us for different reasons. Young women are often unhappy with the appearance or asymmetry of their labia. Too big or too small labia is also one of the main problems that teenage girls are facing. Middle-aged women contact us about defects and scars of intimate areas, as well as pain during sex – problems that often occur after childbirth. In those cases, we attempt to reconstruct vaginal areas to improve the quality of sexual life. The other age group – mature and elderly women suffering from vaginal dryness, age related anatomical changes, such as descent of vaginal walls. Modern medicine can offer solutions to most of the problems that women of all ages face, e.g. labia correction, G spot augmentation, the rejuvenation of intimate areas.
– Which aesthetic gynaecology procedure is the most popular?
Doc. Bartkevičienė: Vaginoplasty is very popular – an operation usually performed on females with vaginal deformations or vaginal stretching due to natural childbirth. Problems like that can be solved with surgery or laser therapy. After the procedures, the vagina can tighten up, vaginal tissue can be rejuvenated and the quality of sexual life improved. After having had the laser procedure a woman can go home in 15 minutes and already have sex in 2 or 3 days: small limitations for big advantages.
Dr. Balčiūnas: A lot of women are not happy with the appearance of their labia. Most want that labia minora would be totally covered by labia majora. In those cases, labia minora reduction operation can be performed. Recovery time for such operations is 2-3 hours. An augmentation of labia majora with hyaluronic acid is also popular – the effects of such treatment last from one to two years after which the procedure can be repeated.
– It seems that urinary incontinence after childbirth is also one of the most common issues. Research shows that over one fourth of all women who give birth have to face this problem and it becomes not only physiological issue for them, but also social and psychological one. What can modern medicine offer to help?
Doc. Bartkevičienė: Due to the anatomical changes related to natural ageing process millions of women worldwide experience flabbiness of internal vaginal tissues and vaginal atrophy. That is a problem programmed by nature itself. The muscles of our face and the whole-body age and vaginal muscles are no exception. The flabbiness of internal tissues and vaginal atrophy causes liquid incontinence and the feeling of lose vagina. In the past women would only see the doctor after such problems become unbearable and the only solution used to be surgical intervention. Today however this delicate issue can be resolved a lot faster and cause a lot less discomfort: vaginal walls can be reinforced without surgical invasion with the help of CO2 laser. The procedure is recommended for women suffering from internal vaginal tissue flabbiness, urinary incontinence due to stomach pressure or change of body position. The treatment only lasts 15 minutes and can be performed on women from 25 to 70 years old. During the procedure, the deep layers of vaginal mucous membrane are treated thermally, collagen and elastin fiber contractions are stimulated, which induces the growing and regeneration of collagen cells as well as rejuvenation of vaginal tissue and strengthening of inter-cellular materials in the vaginal walls.
– Are Lithuanian women comfortable talking about rather intimate problems that apparently are not health threatening but still cause discomfort?
Doc. Bartkevičienė: The sexual culture in Lithuania still makes women feel it is inappropriate to talk about sexual health and sexuality. Such are the cultural traditions here, this is how we were taught growing up, this is how the understanding of norms was formulated. Not all specialists here are ready to consult people on issues of sexual health, but I am glad to see the increasing number of therapists now ready and able to help patients concerned about the sexual health and the quality of life – their own and their partners’.
Dr. Balčiūnas: Intimate problems have to be talked about as they affect not only physiological and sexual health, but also psychological well-being. I wish women didn’t have to go through developing inferiority complexes and low self-esteem due to problems that can easily be solved with one injection or laser treatment, often without any surgical intervention. It is important to keep women and the whole population well informed about the opportunities modern medicine offers.
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