Hymenoplasty vs Hymenectomy… What’s The Difference?

We’ve talked about minimizing the appearance of your hymen, but what if you want to restore or repair your hymen? While a hymenectomy is a procedure to remove hymenal tissue, a hymenoplasty or hymen reconstruction surgery is the process of restoring your hymenal tissue. Before we get ahead of ourselves, you might be asking: What even is a hymen? The hymen is a piece of tissue that covers the opening of your vagina. When it’s broken, the hymen leaves behind small pieces of tissue known as hymenal tags. 

Hymenoplasty

A hymenoplasty is a fairly simple procedure, yet the reasons for wanting one are complex and nuanced: There are often cultural, psychological or social reasons why a woman would want to fix her hymen. And while we typically think that the hymen “breaks” due to intercourse, there a number of non-sexual activities that can cause it to stretch or tear, like tampon use. Individuals that want to have a hymenoplasty are typically looking to regain something they feel they lost when they broke their hymen. 

As with any procedure at Austin Labiaplasty and Vaginal Rejuvenation, you’ll have a consultation prior to your hymenoplasty. The actual procedure takes about an hour and is completed within the comfort of our offices. You’ll receive oral medication to relax beforehand, and we’ll prep the area by cleaning the vaginal tissue with an antiseptic solution. The vaginal tissue will also be injected with a numbing agent so that you don’t feel anything during the procedure (and don’t worry, the injection just feels like a tiny pinch!). From here, the hymenal remnants are sutured together in order to restore the appearance of the hymen. 

Immediately after your hymenoplasty, you’ll need someone to drive you home since the medication can cause disorientation. Patients are encouraged to take a few days off from work to heal, in addition to six weeks of vaginal rest. In other words, nothing inside the vagina! In case you experience any discomfort or pain while recovering, we’ll also prescribe a mild narcotic or an over-the-counter pain reliever to help. From here, we’ll follow up with you in twelve weeks to make sure everything is properly healing. You can view before and after photos of a hymenoplasty on our site to better understand what to expect. 

Hymenectomy

On the flipside, a hymenectomy is a procedure in which the hymenal tags are removed. There’s no medical necessity to having them removed, but women often elect to have this procedure done for cosmetic and comfort reasons. For instance, the leftover tissue might become irritated or inflamed. Much like a hymenoplasty, a hymenectomy is a straightforward procedure that takes place in our state-of-the-art offices. The procedure takes about 15 minutes, give or take, and you’ll be given local anesthesia beforehand. It’s important that you have someone who is able to drive you home afterwards, and that you take enough time to recover and heal. You can view an animation of hymenectomy before and after on the hymenectomy treatment page of our site. 

It doesn’t matter if you’re interested in a hymenoplasty or a hymenectomy; you’re always in good hands with our team. If you have any questions, you can always contact our team or schedule an appointment. We’re ready when you are.