Vulvoplasty, also known as zero-depth vaginoplasty, is a plastic surgery procedure for altering the appearance of one's

vulva In mammals, the vulva (: vulvas or vulvae) comprises mostly external, visible structures of the female sex organ, genitalia leading into the interior of the female reproductive tract. For humans, it includes the mons pubis, labia majora, lab ...

or constructing a vulva from

penile A penis (; : penises or penes) is a sex organ through which male and hermaphrodite animals expel semen during copulation, and through which male placental mammals and marsupials also urinate. The term ''penis'' applies to many intromittent ...

and

scrotal In most terrestrial mammals, the scrotum (: scrotums or scrota; possibly from Latin ''scortum'', meaning "hide" or "skin") or scrotal sac is a part of the external male genitalia located at the base of the penis. It consists of a sac of skin c ...

tissue (a neovulva).

Labiaplasty with clitoral hood reduction and Princess Albertina piercing 2

Surgery

Reasons for vulvoplasty

Women with congenital disorders or women post- vulvectomy or with

genital trauma Genital trauma is trauma to the genitalia. History of studying genital trauma Doctors and nurses have been conducting sexual assault examinations and have been collecting evidence for victims of assault for 20 years. But the amount of scientif ...

may receive vulvoplasty for medical reasons. Women who experience vulvar discomfort may also receive vulvoplasty.

Gender-affirming surgery

gender-affirming surgery Gender-affirming surgery (GAS) is a surgical procedure, or series of procedures, that alters a person's physical appearance and sexual characteristics to resemble those associated with their gender identity. The phrase is most often associated ...

, some male-to-female

transgender A transgender (often shortened to trans) person has a gender identity different from that typically associated with the sex they were sex assignment, assigned at birth. The opposite of ''transgender'' is ''cisgender'', which describes perso ...

patients receive vulvoplasty without

vaginoplasty Vaginoplasty is any surgical procedure that results in the construction or reconstruction of the vagina. It is a type of genitoplasty. Pelvic organ prolapse is often treated with one or more surgeries to repair the vagina. Sometimes a vaginoplas ...

to reconstruct the exterior of female genitalia. During clitoroplasty, a

clitoris In amniotes, the clitoris ( or ; : clitorises or clitorides) is a female sex organ. In humans, it is the vulva's most erogenous zone, erogenous area and generally the primary anatomical source of female Human sexuality, sexual pleasure. Th ...

is made from the tissue of the

glans penis In male human anatomy, the glans penis or penile glans, commonly referred to as the glans, (; from Latin ''glans'' meaning "acorn") is the bulbous structure at the Anatomical terms of location#Proximal and distal, distal end of the human penis ...

Labiaplasty Labiaplasty (also known as labioplasty, labia minora reduction, and labial reduction) is a plastic surgery procedure for creating or altering the labia minora (inner labia) and the labia majora (outer labia), the folds of skin of the human vu ...

can be performed as a discrete surgery, or as a subordinate procedure within a vaginoplasty. The

labia minora The labia minora (Latin for 'smaller lips', : labium minus), also known as the inner labia, inner lips, or nymphae, are two flaps of skin that are part of the primate vulva, extending outwards from the inner Vagina#Vaginal opening and hymen, vagi ...

are typically constructed from genital skin and the

labia majora In primates, and specifically in humans, the labia majora (: labium majus), also known as the outer lips or outer labia, are two prominent Anatomical terms of location, longitudinal skin folds that extend downward and backward from the mons pubis ...

using skin from the

scrotum In most terrestrial mammals, the scrotum (: scrotums or scrota; possibly from Latin ''scortum'', meaning "hide" or "skin") or scrotal sac is a part of the external male genitalia located at the base of the penis. It consists of a sac of skin ...

. The

urinary meatus The urinary meatus (, ; : meati or meatuses), also known as the external urethral orifice, is the opening of the penis or vulva where urine exits the urethra during urination. It is also where semen exits during male ejaculation, and other fluids ...

in trans women is created by shortening the urethra and positioning it above the neovagina in such a way that the urine will descend downward while urinating in a seated position.

References

* {{Human reproductive health Gynecological surgery Surgical oncology Feminizing surgery Female genital modification Plastic surgery Vulva Pediatric gynecology Intersex healthcare Surgical procedures and techniques