Life & Work

Plastic surgery - No part of the body is spared

plastic

Doctors and nurses performing cosmetic surgery. PHOTO | AFP

Vaginoplasty

Issues concerning matters down south are considered to be very private in Kenya, however, this is not stopping women from seeking surgical intervention from gynaecologists and plastic surgeons to improve the appearance and elasticity of their lady parts.

There are three different procedures that are carried out on the parts, the first being an internal vaginoplasty. This is where the surgeon tightens the vaginal wall.

“This procedure is done especially after a woman has had multiple deliveries and her birth canal gets stretched and the tight wall becomes flaccid,” says Dr Nang’ole.

The second procedure is closely linked to the first and is known as G-spot enhancement. This procedure is done by injecting platelet-rich plasma (PRP) into the lower third of the vagina thereby augmenting or amplifying the vaginal tissue.

The procedure has been more commonly done using collagen being injected into the organ to help with urinary inconsistencies and for G-spot augmentation.

The final procedure is a ‘facelift’ for those who are not happy with the external appearance or shape of their organ. Female genital re-shaping aims to change the size and external shape of a woman organ.

“The excess tissue is removed and then it is sutured,” he explains. This procedure is common with older women who feel there have been changes with their parts that make them unappealing to look at.

Dr Mukuhi Ng’ang’a, who writes for BDLife had, however, noted in an earlier article that research done in America and Europe has shown that most men do not notice (or, quite frankly, care) about the length or size of their female partner’s genitals.

On the flip side of the coin, men in African communities where labial elongation is done were said to appreciate the practice.

The procedures vary in cost depending on the doctor. If undertaken by a plastic surgeon, the vaginoplasty and ‘facelift’ cost between Sh250,000 to Sh500,000 with gynaecologists charging on the higher side of the spectrum.

G-spot rejuvenation costs from Sh100,000, with the cost being determined by the injection used and healing time taking between two to three weeks.

Organ augmentation

Discussing matters pertaining to penile size in Kenya have remained almost taboo even as new procedures for penile enhancement including use of fat grafting have come into the market.

The procedure has been used for breast and buttock augmentation in women, but it has also been used by men in penile enhancement.

According to Prof Stanley Khainga, a plastic surgeon, penile girth can be enhanced by the use of fat grafting similar to the way breast size can be enhanced.

Dr Ferdinand Nang’ole, a plastic reconstructive surgeon in Kenya, says that the procedure has been performed in Kenya from a few years back.

The procedure is done in a similar manner as other fat grafting procedures. Micro droplets of fat from the groin area and gluteal (buttock) creases are injected into the organ. If the procedure is successful, the fat regenerates, increasing the girth by a reported one or two inches.

In a month, Dr Nang’ole syas, the client can resume sexual activity. Each procedure costs from Sh200,000 and depending on the girth the client wants achieved, there may be need for multiple procedures.

The procedure, like any other surgery, can have negative effects including penile shortening, asymmetry and curvature if the grafts did not take uniformly.

Penile augmentation is also being done using platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections in a procedure where the plasma is drawn from one’s own blood which is then spun in a centrifuge to create the PRP.

The PRP is injected into the patient’s organ in several parts and is claimed to aid in tissue and blood vessel growth.

The procedures, however, have not been extensively tested and remain largely experimental and expensive with the injections going for more than Sh250,000.