Decoding ‘Designer Vagina’ Talked About In ‘Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives’

By OB Bureau On Sep 14, 2022

New Delhi: The web series ‘The Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives’ is in the news for more reasons than one. Right from filmmaker Karan Johar calling the show ‘cringy’ and a ‘guilty pleasure’ for most people, to one of the participants, Seema Sajdeh, (recently separated from actor Sohail Khan) hinting at ‘liking women’ and matchmaker Sima Taparia being scandalised at the comment to the most controversial ‘designer vagina.’

The doctor in the show did mention “designer vagina” but did not recommend it, writes Dr Amrinder Bajaj, Senior Consultant, Gynaecology, FMRI (Fortis Memorial Research Institute) Gurgaon in The Indian Express.

According to Dr Bajaj, who has a special interest in urogynaecology, doctors have been repairing vaginas that had been damaged by childbirth, operating on women with prolapse and always ending the procedure by narrowing its width; in short, creating designer vaginas without giving it the fancy name of “cosmetic gynaecology.”

Here’s what she explained about cosmetic gynaecology in The Indian Express.

As with plastic surgery elsewhere, plastic surgery on the female genitalia could be either reconstructive or cosmetic. For instance, a plastic surgeon removes burn scars, and warts, attaches amputated body parts like a cut ear or finger, or reconstructs faces horribly mutilated by cancer surgeries. He also performs procedures/surgeries to enhance the aesthetic appearance of a person that include a nose job, breast enhancement, facelifts, hair transplant and so on. Such procedures are not medically necessary but boost the person’s self-confidence. Though intimate aesthetic surgery too is performed for the above two reasons, it has an additional benefit of improving sexual function. Couples have not had sexual satisfaction on account of vaginas that are enlarged while giving birth to a child. Age and menopause compound the issue, resulting in marital discord and a diminished sense of self-worth.

Also, ever since the shaving of pubic hair has come into vogue, more and more women and/or their partners are dissatisfied with the size and shape and appearance of their private parts. An increasing number are now willing to go any extent, be it pain, surgery or expense to better what God has given them, she explains.

According to her, the medical reasons for doing reconstructive surgery on the female genitalia could be:

· Repair of vaginal tissues that have been torn at childbirth. Kegel exercise can help those with minor defects but with age and menopause, the area becomes still more lax leading to a deterioration in sexual function. As sex forms an integral part of married life, couples do come even at this age for restoration. Sometimes the tear can be so severe that the vaginal and anal canal become one and the woman is unable to control the passage of gas or faeces! If not diagnosed and addressed at the time of delivery, this horrible situation needs to be rectified whenever diagnosed.
· Stress incontinence – again due to trauma during childbirth, there is leakage of urine every time the woman sneezes, coughs, or laughs, decreasing the quality of her life. A minor vaginal surgery is all that is needed to alleviate these embarrassing symptoms.
· Dyspareunia or painful intercourse could be due to fibrosis and scarring of the vaginal tissues after episiotomy (the cut made on the posterior wall of the vagina facilitates delivery which is stitched after childbirth). Again, a minor surgery is all that is required.
· Congenital conditions like an absent vagina. An artificial vagina can be prepared to serve coital function. The procedure is also performed in a transgender person – a woman trapped in a male body for gender reorientation.
· The hymen usually has a small opening to allow the passage of menstrual blood. Rarely, the hymen is imperforate, which leads to the collection of menstrual blood in her vagina leading to severe cyclical pain. A small incision is made on the hymen, a procedure called hymenectomy, allows the free flow of menstrual blood. Some women have a rigid hymen that needs to be cut under anesthesia to allow coitus.
· If there are growths like warts, lipoma around the external genitalia they can be removed surgically, with the help of laser or cauterized.

As for the risks involved, as with any surgery, there could be complications with potential damage to tissues due to scarring, adhesions, dyspareunia, altered sensations, wound infection and you could end up worse than before. Keep this in mind when you go for procedures that are not medically necessary. However, if your self-esteem or marital relationship is being adversely affected, if there are psychological issues on this account, choose your doctor with care. Being a lucrative branch, those not qualified for cosmetic gynaecology too, are giving it a go, enticing customers by making false claims of success, she writes.

Think twice before opting for cosmetic procedures and go to a specialist experienced in this field, she warns.