In some parts of the world, a woman's vagina is cut and sewn together to heal in such a way that she will no longer enjoy having sex. The good news is that procedures have been developed to reverse some of the damage that has been done to women who have undergone a female genital mutilation called type 3 infibulation. This type of infibulation is performed by cutting the majora labia (these are the lips surrounding the outer side of the vagina) and then suturing the lips together so the two sides of the majora labia heal together. If you have had this infibulation procedure performed on you and are thinking of having it reversed, here is an overview of what you should expect during and after the reversal is done.

Preparation

The area around your vagina will be shaved cleaned to remove the pubic hair. This is done to reduce the chance of a bacterial infection and to prevent hair follicles from getting into the wound. The external part of the vagina and the skin around it will be treated with an antiseptic lotion to kill any bacteria on the skin that could cause an infection in the wound.

Local Anesthetic

The surgeon will typically use a local anesthetic to numb the vaginal area. A local anesthetic means that only the general area where the surgery will be performed is numbed – much like when a dentist only numbs the tooth getting a filling. The local anesthetic will be administered with a syringe that will feel like a pinprick. The anesthetic will be administered at various spots on both sides of the vagina.

Procedure

The surgeon will typically cut along the scar formed after the infibulation procedure was performed. Any scar tissue that won't heal correctly will be trimmed away and discarded. The scar tissue should only be located along the seam of tissue that made up the scar. The majora labia can be opened back up once the seam has been cut. Majora labia is the medical name for the outer lips of the vagina.

The surgeon will suture the edges of the lips together . In some cases, the surgeon may also suture the lips to the surrounding skin to keep the gap between the lips open while the tissue heals. This is done to prevent the tissue on the edges of the lips from folding back over and healing together.

Recovery

You should expect to be in some discomfort for a week or so. Your doctor or surgeon may prescribe pain medication for you to take if the discomfort gets too bad. You should expect some slight bleeding and spotting from the wound during the first week as well. For more information, talk to a professional like Desert Rose OBGYN PC.