The Nomenclature of “Vaginal Rejuvenation” and Elective Vulvovaginal Plastic Surgery

Vulvovaginal plastic surgery is an umbrella term encompassing multiple procedures that are quite distinct from one another. Since many of these terms have evolved from marketing rather than scientific literature, ambiguity and inconsistency exist. This is readily apparent in the yearly Cosmetic Surgery National Databank statistics compiled by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery for “vaginal rejuvenation.”1 Regarding the term vaginal rejuvenation, a recent publication in a major obstetrics and gynecology journal stated, “Unfortunately, neither patients nor medical professionals know exactly what is meant by this term.”2 In fact, there is probably a wide disparity among plastic surgeons and gynecologists regarding what they consider to be “vaginal rejuvenation.” If anything, this term has been synonymous with vaginoplasty (Table 1). However, the nondescript nature of the term renders it unhelpful as a formal medical description, analogous to the uselessness of the unspecific term breast rejuvenation in plastic surgery. The repercussions caused by this lack of formalized nomenclature are many, and the impact is significant. All of the procedures considered to be a part of vulvovaginal plastic surgery have varying degrees of evidence, safety, efficacy, indications, and ethical considerations. To address this issue, we would like to offer a formal attempt to standardize these terms (Table 1). Much of this terminology has come from several recently published articles.3-5 Some of the procedures are well documented; for example, labia minora reduction (labioplasty, labiaplasty) has been discussed in the scientific literature for 40 years and has been examined with large series of patients in the peer-reviewed literature.3 Therefore, as noted in Table 1, we strongly recommend against the use of proprietary terms such as vaginal rejuvenation that would potentially group several procedures together since this is counterproductive and may discredit the legitimacy of more well-established procedures.