Labiaplasty is the removing and reshaping of enlarged tissue around the vagina. It is an increasingly common plastic surgery operation. A major consideration for labiaplasty is what kind of anesthesia do you need to make you comfortable during the surgery. The surgery requires injections into the labial tissues to help reduce bleeding and to numb the area, if you are awake, so that the surgery can be done precisely.
General anesthesia is effective and safe but adds a lot of expense. Having it done in the office alleviates this expense but when the local anesthetic is being administered it can be very uncomfortable. Intravenous sedation is risky and oral sedation may be inadequate.
Pronox to the rescue! This is a low-concentration nitrous oxide (often called laughing gas) that does not use a mask over your face. You are in charge of a tube through which you breathe in an oxygen-nitrous mixture as needed. A few big breaths and you are a bit goofy and very unaware of the pain when the injections are being done. Once those are done, you should feel no more pain but just in case, you keep the Pronox breathing tube at your side for the rest of the procedure to use as needed.
The Pronox is out of your system after about 15 minutes. It allows you to have your labiaplasty done safely and effectively in the office without the risks or recovery of sedation or general anesthesia. You still need a ride home after labiaplasty because you should not drive for several days after the procedure due to swelling and discomfort. You are wide awake and back to your normal self when you go home.
I used to recommend general anesthesia for labiaplasty because it really is safer than intravenous sedation and more effective than sedation by mouth. Pronox has changed that and I now recommend you have your labiaplasty in the office which makes it a safer procedure and provides a faster recovery time while you stay in control.
Does Pronox really make you laugh? Some women do get giggly but best of all, in the words of one patient, “That was awesome. I felt no pain. “