“It Was Meant to Make Me Feel Better”: When Labiaplasty Goes Wrong

Cosmetic surgery guides · 13 min read · Published 10 November 2026 · Reviewed 10 November 2026 · Next review May 2027

By Dr Rosemary Listing, PhD (Law) · Medical negligence lawyer since 2014 · Of Counsel, Peter Evans & Associates

If labiaplasty has left you in pain, numb or distressed, I want you to know that your feelings and questions are valid. This is an intimate harm and often a lonely one. You deserve to be taken seriously.

This guide covers normal variation, risks, the 2023 protections, records, and how the law looks at labiaplasty.

Start with your question

• Are my labia normal?
• What are the risks of labiaplasty?
• What should happen before labiaplasty?
• What are warning signs after labiaplasty?
• Can labiaplasty affect sensation and sex?
• Where can I get help now?
• Could a labiaplasty be negligence?

Normal variation

The Labia Library, by Women’s Health Victoria, says there is incredible diversity in how vulvas and labia look, with no single standard or normal version.¹ It suggests talking to a women’s health doctor or gynaecologist, who has no financial interest in recommending surgery.¹

Risks

The Labia Library lists risks including scarring, numbness, pain, permanent disfigurement and discolouration, and says it can affect sensation during sex. It notes that professional bodies such as RANZCOG say there isn’t enough evidence that these procedures are safe or effective for body image, sexual satisfaction or self-esteem.¹

The 2023 protections

Since July 2023, cosmetic surgery requires a GP referral, information about risks, recovery and total cost before consent, and a seven-day cooling-off period before booking or paying.²

Questions to ask

• Is the person operating a registered specialist surgeon?
• What are the risks to sensation and sex?
• What will the scar be like?
• What happens if I’m unhappy with the result?

Warning signs

Sensation and sex

Loss of sensation and painful sex can follow labiaplasty. A gynaecologist or pelvic health physiotherapist can help assess and treat scar pain. Our guides to pelvic floor physiotherapy and painful sex after birth injury may help.

Getting help

Revision of labiaplasty is specialised. Seek a gynaecologist with experience in reconstruction, and get a second opinion before more surgery. See questions before revision surgery.

What to look for in the records

Your records are often where the story becomes clear. You have a right to access your own health information. In NSW the Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 covers both public and private providers, and the Information and Privacy Commission explains how to ask.³ Our step-by-step guide to getting your medical records in Australia walks you through it.

How the law looks at it

A disappointing labiaplasty is not automatically negligence, but harm to such an intimate area deserves a proper look. The questions are whether the surgery met the expected standard, whether you were properly informed, and whether the 2023 cosmetic surgery requirements were followed.

A claim usually turns on three questions: whether the care fell below what peers would widely accept as competent practice (section 5O of the Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW))⁴, whether that shortfall probably caused harm you wouldn't otherwise have had (Tabet v Gett)⁵, and, where it matters, whether you were told the material risks first (Rogers v Whitaker)⁶⁷. Our guide to how a medical negligence claim works explains each one in plain terms.

In a labiaplasty case, the questions might be: was the practitioner appropriately qualified? Was too much tissue removed? Was the technique appropriate? Were the risks to sensation and sex explained? Were GP referral and cooling-off requirements followed?

In plain terms, the question is whether proper care or information would probably have avoided the harm.

For labiaplasty, that would usually include the risks of scarring, numbness, pain, changes to sensation and sex, and an unsatisfactory result.

Who can claim, and when

The person who had the surgery can claim. In NSW, time usually runs from when you knew, or ought to have known, enough to claim, not from the treatment itself, and courts can sometimes extend it, so an old injury may still count. See time limits in NSW or other states, and ask early.

More: complaint or claim? · how a claim is paid for · what a claim can cover

In my practice

In labiaplasty files, I often see little about why the person wanted surgery or whether normal variation was discussed, and nothing about sensation. People often feel too embarrassed to raise concerns. A gynaecologist’s report usually gives them the words for what happened.

Both things can be true

You may have chosen this surgery for yourself, and still been harmed by poor care. Choosing cosmetic surgery doesn’t mean accepting harm.

The bigger picture

Ahpra’s cosmetic surgery hub explains the 2023 reforms.² You can check a practitioner on the Ahpra public register,⁸ and complaints about care in NSW can go to the Health Care Complaints Commission.⁹ Our guide to getting your medical records explains how to ask for your file.

Support

You don't have to work through this alone. These services can help:

• Lifeline, 24-hour crisis support: 13 11 14 (listed on healthdirect's helplines page)¹⁰
• Beyond Blue, anxiety and depression support: 1300 22 4636
• Medicare Mental Health, help finding mental health support: 1800 595 212
• healthdirect, 24-hour nurse advice: 1800 022 222
• Health Care Complaints Commission (NSW): 1800 043 159

A woman told she’d been happy with the plan now knows what was removed. You deserve that clarity too.

With care,
Rosemary

Frequently asked questions