Patients often seek medical advice for vaginal widening due to tears during childbirth and subsequent inadequate tissue healing. Many patients are unaware of vaginal tightening methods while experiencing significant sexual problems with their partners. This situation undermines patients' confidence and makes sexual intercourse unbearable due to decreased vaginal secretion along with stress. Some patients suffer from confidence issues due to sounds coming from the vagina during intercourse, while continuously experiencing moisture and odor in their underwear. Patients also feel discomfort as if the bladder is about to prolapse. In advanced stages, the bladder or rectum may prolapse outside the vagina, leading to urinary incontinence, constipation, and irritation due to friction. Women are increasingly concerned about the shape and appearance of their genital area. Middle-aged women refuse to accept the functional losses caused by childbirth damage and seek treatment alternatives.

Genital aesthetic surgery, a rapidly growing field in aesthetic surgery, offers many methods aimed at improving women's quality of life and sexual well-being. Vaginal rejuvenation is a general term for procedures that help reverse the effects of aging and childbirth on the vagina.

 

These procedures can be examined in four main categories:

• Vaginal Ruga Restoration (FraxiVa®)

• Radiofrequency Vaginal Tightening

• CO2 Laser Vaginal Tightening (FraxiVa®)

• Surgical Vaginal Tightening Operation

 

1- Vaginal Ruga Restoration

"Ruga (rugae)" are the transverse skin folds in the walls of the vagina. These folds provide lubrication during sexual intercourse and help the vagina to expand during childbirth. Over time, rugae can diminish due to aging and childbirth. The FraxiVa® laser method helps to restore these folds. This technique involves applying micron-sized laser shots to the vaginal tissue, initiating a repair process by the neighboring tissues. As a result, the vaginal tissue becomes younger, healthier, and tighter, enhancing sexual pleasure. Ruga restoration with FraxiVa® is completed in a short 15-20 minute procedure, and patients can immediately return to normal life. It is recommended to avoid sexual intercourse for the first week after the procedure.

 

2- Radiofrequency Vaginal Tightening

If the expansion of the vagina is minimal, radiofrequency tightening, a non-surgical method, can be applied. Radiofrequency heats the tissue to tighten it and aims for gradual vaginal narrowing over weekly sessions with this anesthesia-free method. However, the success rate achieved with radiofrequency is limited compared to surgical methods.

 

3- CO2 Laser Vaginal Tightening (FraxiVa®)

One of the preferred methods for mild vaginal enlargement is CO2 Laser (Carbon Dioxide Laser). FraxiVa® utilizes fractional carbon dioxide laser technology for vaginal tightening. It creates controlled, microscopic damage inside the vagina at a depth of 0.1 microns, promoting cell renewal and collagen production, leading to tighter and healthier tissue. This procedure, performed under local anesthesia, lasts 15-20 minutes and it is recommended that the patient refrains from sexual intercourse for a week following the treatment. There may be complaints of vaginal discharge during the healing process. The effect of vaginal tightening obtained with this method is more limited compared to surgical procedures.

 

4- Surgical Vaginal Tightening Operation

In cases of severe vaginal enlargement, it is possible to narrow the vagina with surgical methods. This procedure, performed under general or spinal anesthesia, requires the patient to stay in the hospital overnight following the operation. After resting for 2-3 days post-operation, patients can return to their work life. It is recommended to avoid sexual intercourse for 40 days to allow stitches to heal properly.

 

IN CONCLUSION

Radiofrequency for vaginal tightening is a method that doesn't require anesthesia and is performed over sessions, but its effects emerge slowly. The laser method, applied in two sessions, shows faster effects compared to radiofrequency. The potential for vaginal tightening of both methods is less than that of surgical operation. However, we prefer them as the first option in selected patients because they do not require hospitalization, have much fewer risks compared to surgery, and can be easily applied in daily life. For moderate and severe vaginal laxity, we perform vaginal tightening surgery to achieve more definitive and permanent results.

 

 

In the past, we could only offer vaginal tightening surgery for vaginal laxity. We considered surgery unnecessary for mild to moderate vaginal enlargement and could not offer any intervention. Radiofrequency and Laser vaginal tightening procedures provide an effective solution for mild and moderate patient groups' requests.