What is Vaginal Rejuvenation?

You may hear about “vaginal rejuvenation” and wonder what all these different concepts have in common. After all, some people associate rejuvenation with improving function through medical hormonal therapy or injections, some with the use of lasers, and yet others with a variety of surgical procedures. Rejuvenation is commonly defined as “restoring youthful vigor,” and so in reality there are many ideas and techniques that can be utilized to broadly improve the condition, state, or function of the vagina.

Aging, of course, is a normal process for all of us, and most people do not need any rejuvenation at all. But there are circumstances which arise in which vaginal functionality could be substantially improved. The most common are the natural changes of menopause. As the youthful hormone levels recede, the very estrogen sensitive tissues of the vagina, vulva and even the bladder begin to dry, shrink, atrophy, and actually inflame. In fact, the irritated vaginal canal can produce an obvious discharge called “atrophic vaginitis” which is virtually identical to other infections but is entirely due to the lack of estrogen. When present, these aging changes can lead to a series of issues such as recurrent urinary tract infections, vulvar sensitivity, and significant pain with intercourse. Thankfully, improvement of the menopausal changes is very easy to safely treat with a variety of techniques, including systemic and/or topical estrogen therapy or laser therapy.

Classic vaginal rejuvenation may also make one think of surgeries or procedures done to improve the appearance or function of the vulva and vagina. Aging and childbirth can adversely affect the tone of the vaginal barrel leading to problems with bladder support, rectovaginal hernias, descent of the uterus and urine or anal incontinence. Occasionally the sexual function of the vagina deteriorates as damaged or overstretched connective tissues interrupt the ability of the vagina to appropriately tighten. Sometimes the external labia are genetically or obstetrically enlarged or damaged, and certain surgical techniques or laser therapies can be used to reshape, resurface, reduce or generally improve the labial appearance and function through procedures including laser resurfacing or reduction labiaplasty.

Thankfully, most women will not need any rejuvenation therapies at all, but rest assured that if any of these issues are of concern to you, the doctors of Premier Ob/Gyn are very experienced consultants and surgeons, and work to help to correct these problems, usually in the office, every day.

Premier OB-Gyn is accepting new patients in both our Maitland, FL and Oviedo, FL locations. We would be happy to see you! Please call 321-397-1212 or visit www.premierob-gyn.com to book your appointment!

Author

John van Wert, MD, FACOG Dr. John van Wert is a leading board-certified OB/GYN, serving patients in and around the Greater Metro Orlando for over 30 years. He provides services such as bioidentical hormone replacement, menopause management, vaginal surgery and rejuvenation, and robotic hysterectomies in addition to standard gynecology services. Dr. van Wert obtained his undergraduate degree at Duke University in North Carolina, his medical degree from Vanderbilt University Medical School in Tennessee and residency at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Dr. van Wert excels in gynecologic surgery, especially laparoscopic surgery and robotic hysterectomies. He has been named as one of Central Florida’s “Top Doctors” multiple times. Dr. van Wert is a long-standing board certified member of The American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and is also a member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery and the American Association of Cosmetic Gynecologists.