Sagging and fullness of the pubic area, also known as the Mount of Venus, is a very common problem in mature woman. This condition is often observed in patients who have been suffering abrupt weight loss, pregnancies or simply because of aging. The falling down (known in plastic surgery as ptosis) of the pubic area happens due to flabbiness and looseness of the skin in the frontal pelvic area.
Even in the face of a lack of a lot of excess skin, a woman may have fat deposits in her pubic region which causes an unsightly bulge in her clothes. This deposit may have been present since birth or acquired with weight gain. It is also a common development after a tummy tuck where the scar line and above is quite flat and the pubic fullness bulges out from below.
An isolated pubic bulge can be eliminated by liposuction, particularly when there is not a loose skin issue. When aging or weight gain has caused the pubic and vaginal regions to descend, rejuvenation can be done by excising excess skin above the pubic hair and removing excess fat in the pubic region. The pubic liposuction and pubic lift procedure are often a part of tummy tuck procedure. Even if not done as part of a tummy tuck, it can be done as a secondary procedure using the existing tummy tuck scar.
Improvement of the pubic region through lifting and/or liposuction is often referred to as genital rejuvenation or mons pubis rejuvenation. The mons pubis is the hair-bearing area of the pubis. Both women and men can have this problem, although most men acquire it through significant amounts of weight loss.
Whenever I do an abdominoplasty in my Indianapolis plastic surgery practice, an evaluation of the appearance of the pubis is done to determine whether or not the pubic area needs to be lifted. All tummy tucks will cause a certain amount of pubic lift. But the design of the tummy tuck can be done to cause a greater amount of pubic lift if needed. In all cases, the top of the pubic hairline will reach to the scar line which will also raise the level of the hairline as well. Patients often undergo laser hair removal later to create a ‘hair-free’ buffer between the scar and the pubic hair line. A few patients have also reported that the amount of pubic lift has resulted in the clitoris becomes more exposed, allowing for improved stimulation.
When a pure pubic lift is done, a caesarian type scar just above the pubic hair is used as the approach for lifting the pubis. This scar heals well as a horizontal scar just above the pubis. It is also combined with liposuction as well. Unlike a tummy tuck, this is a fairly simple procedure that does not require a drain and can be completed in less than an hour.
Barry L. Eppley, M.D., D.M.D.
Indianapolis, Indiana