What is vaginal tightening? As we know, during normal delivery, the vagina has to be extremely dilated in order to deliver the fetus from the birth canal smoothly, resulting in vaginal laxity. Since the vagina has a certain repair function, the elasticity of the vagina can be gradually restored through rest and conditioning after delivery. However, if there is a birth injury during delivery, such as a vaginal tear or perineal body injury, there may be a permanent loss of vaginal elasticity, which may result in vaginal laxity and decreased sexual satisfaction; some patients may also develop urethral or bladder bulge, resulting in stress urinary incontinence (leakage of urine when abdominal pressure increases, often when sneezing, coughing, jumping or walking quickly), difficulty urinating or recurrent urinary tract infections, or habitual constipation due to rectal distension. This shows that vaginal laxity not only affects the sexual function of the patient, but also has a serious impact on the quality of life of the patient. Vaginal rejuvenation surgery is a surgical treatment to correct postpartum vaginal laxity. Vaginal rejuvenation surgery helps to repair the damage around the vagina, strengthen the lax muscles and fascia, enhance the elasticity of the vagina and restore the tightness of the vagina. Vaginal tightening surgery can also prevent and improve uterine prolapse, stress urinary incontinence and habitual constipation caused by lax pelvic floor tissues. Am I a candidate for vaginal tightening? Vaginal rejuvenation is suitable for most women with vaginal laxity due to childbirth, but if you currently have gynecological conditions such as vaginitis or celiac disease, we recommend waiting until the disease is cured before performing the procedure. Vaginal rejuvenation should be performed at least 3-5 months after childbirth, when the hormone levels in the body have returned to their pre-pregnancy state. How does vaginal rejuvenation work? Vaginal tightening is achieved by reinforcing the muscles and fascia around the vagina, as these tissues were irreversibly damaged during childbirth, and by surgically re-suturing and reinforcing the tissues that were injured by extreme dilation, so that the tissues around the vagina can be tightened again. What is the procedure of vaginal tightening surgery? How long does the procedure take? What are the risks? Before the procedure, we will evaluate your age, vaginal laxity and perineal damage and rule out those situations that are not suitable for the procedure. The scope of the surgery and the procedure may vary depending on the age of the patient, the degree of vaginal laxity, the age and sexual function of the partner, and the post-operative tightness required by each woman. The procedure can be performed under local or general anesthesia and usually lasts 2 hours. Women who opt for local anesthesia can leave the hospital at the end of the procedure, but will feel significant pain during the surgical anesthesia session. An incision is usually made at the vaginal hymenal margin and the posterior vaginal wall is completely separated to expose the muscle tissue beneath it. The muscle strength is rebuilt by tight sutures to reduce the vaginal circumference, while the perineum is reconstructed and the vaginal mucosa is finally repositioned. The vaginal mucosa is usually not removed during the procedure, which not only increases the vaginal folds and enhances the postoperative sexual experience, but also maintains the patient’s vaginal delivery function. Overall, the procedure is safe. Possible complications include bleeding in the surgical area, blood in the stool, local edema, rectal injury, and infection, but the incidence is low. If they do occur, they will be treated accordingly. Very few patients may experience numbness in the surgical area, painful intercourse, and dullness of sensation after surgery. What are the postoperative precautions? Since the surgery causes local tissue edema, a catheter will need to be left in place, usually removed 24 hours after surgery, and the gauze strips placed in the vagina after surgery will also be removed (for compression to reduce postoperative bleeding). If the amount of blood does not exceed the amount of menstrual blood, no special treatment is needed. If the amount of bleeding is excessive, it is recommended to contact the surgeon. On the second day after surgery, two wound baths with diluted potassium permanganate solution for 10 minutes each time for 10 days are required to effectively prevent post-operative infection and promote wound recovery. Sexual intercourse is prohibited for 2 months after surgery. During this period, smoking, drinking alcohol, and avoiding spicy and stimulating food are strictly prohibited, and it is recommended to consume a high-fiber diet or vegetables and fruits, and to apply medication to prevent constipation if necessary. Since all sutures are absorbable sutures, the sutures will fall off automatically after surgery and do not need to be removed.