Few subjects are harder to raise, and few are more common than patients assume. Dr. Juliane C. Finke performs every intimate procedure at the practice herself — from the first consultation to the final check-up a year later.
Medically reviewed by Dr. med. Juliane C. Finke and Dr. med. Stephan Frantzen · Last reviewed:
Dr. Juliane C. Finke carries out every intimate procedure herself — from the consultation and the operation through to the final examination after one year.
Intimate surgery for women covers surgical and non-surgical corrections in the genital area — reducing the labia minora, building up or tightening the labia majora, correcting the mons pubis, and treating scars. Dr. Finke performs all of them personally.
The vulva is the whole of the external genitalia: the mons pubis, the inner and outer labia, and the clitoris. Behind the labia lie the vagina, which leads to the uterus, and the short urethra leading to the bladder.
The labia have a job to do. They shield the vagina and the urethra from ascending infection. No operation may compromise that — which is why tissue here is reduced, never simply removed.
Conservative before surgical. What we do follows from what is causing the complaint. Scars, for instance, are first treated without an operation: sustained pressure and massage therapy loosen thickened or painful tissue as far as possible. Only if that fails do injections — cortisone, for example — come into question, and surgical excision of the scar is the last step.
The commonest reasons women come to us are:
Pubic hair once covered much of this region. Where it is removed or reduced, things become visible that some women find bothersome — and how bothersome is an entirely individual judgement. The complaints are as varied as the options that follow from them, which is why intimate surgery is planned case by case and never from a catalogue.
The most frequent request. Labia minora that project well beyond the outer labia, or hang down when standing, can be reduced with a labia reduction plasty (labiaplasty).
What matters technically is that the protective function survives the operation: the labia shield the urethra and the vaginal entrance from infection.
Anyone who has treated women subjected to genital cutting knows how difficult it becomes when too much soft tissue has been taken away in this region. Putting it back means technically demanding tissue transfers — pedicled flaps with their own blood supply — and that is reconstructive surgery. In an aesthetic operation the job is to make sure that situation never arises in the first place.
Some women are bothered by a prominent mons pubis. Usually the cause is accumulated fat, which can be removed gently by liposuction. A compression garment is then worn for four to six weeks.
Where the skin over the mons has lost its firmness — after weight loss or pregnancy — the area can be tightened directly. The excess skin is removed, generally leaving a scar in the upper part of the mons, comparable to a fine caesarean scar.
Often, though not always, there is a small excess of skin on the lower abdomen at the same time. It can be removed through the same incision and the lower abdomen tightened with it — the mini abdominoplasty.
Clitoral hypertrophy is usually congenital. It can also be acquired later in life, and then the cause generally lies in a hormonal disturbance. Tumours, and the use of anabolic steroids or doping agents, can also enlarge the clitoris.
Because the causes differ so widely, the finding is investigated before anything is planned. Where a hormonal or other underlying cause is found, that is treated first — surgery is not the automatic answer.
The outer labia lose volume with age, after pregnancies, and after substantial weight loss. The skin then looks slack and the whole region appears to have fallen in on itself.
Three routes are available, and which one fits depends on how much volume is missing and how much skin is left over:
All three are outpatient procedures under local anaesthetic. Which is sensible in your case — and whether any of them is — is decided at the consultation.
Tears and episiotomy scars can remain painful, thickened or tethered long after healing. They are a common and rarely discussed reason for pain during intercourse.
Treatment starts conservatively: intensive pressure and massage therapy over weeks softens most scars considerably. Where that is not enough, injections — cortisone, for example — are the next step.
Surgical excision of the scar is the last option, not the first. We will tell you honestly where on that ladder your finding sits.
Every operation carries risk. In this region the ones that matter are:
Choose your surgeon by qualification, not by price. In this field that advice is worth more than in almost any other.
| How long | About 60 minutes – depending on the extent of the procedure |
|---|---|
| Anaesthetic | Local anaesthetic, with or without sedation; a short general anaesthetic on request |
| Stay | Day surgery – you rest with us and go home the same day |
| Back to normal | One to two days; take it easy for a week |
| Afterwards | Light exercise after 2–3 weeks; cycling, riding and swimming after 6 weeks; tampons from your second period; sex usually after about 8 weeks |
| Sutures | Fine self-dissolving sutures – nothing has to be pulled out |
| Follow-up | After one week, two weeks, six to eight weeks, six months and a final check after one year |
| Where | Day surgery at our practice, Heinrich-Roller-Straße 15, Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg |
| Paid by | Private fee – statutory cover only where there is a recognised medical indication |
What does an intimate surgery cost? There is no flat rate. Time in theatre, technique, anaesthetic and the extent of the procedure differ from person to person. You get a binding quote at the end of your consultation — in writing, with nothing hidden.
Will insurance pay? As a rule, no: purely aesthetic procedures are paid privately. German statutory insurers only contribute where a medical indication is recognised; private insurers and international policies decide case by case. We will tell you honestly whether you have any prospect of cover. And the consultation itself? Medical advice is a treatment in its own right and is invoiced under the German scale of medical fees (GOÄ) — including when you decide against a procedure afterwards. We tell you what to expect when the appointment is made.
These points apply generally. What applies in your case – with existing conditions or regular medication – we go through at your pre-operative consultation. That conversation is what counts.
There is no flat price – the procedures differ too much in effort, technique, anaesthetic and duration. We tell you the binding price for your case at the end of the consultation, in writing and without hidden items.
Does health insurance pay? As a rule, no: purely aesthetic procedures are self-pay services. Statutory health insurers cover the costs only where there is a recognised medical indication; private insurers and benefit offices decide case by case. Whether there is any prospect of this in your case, we tell you openly.
Surgery is performed on an outpatient basis at our practice in Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg; inpatient procedures take place at the MEOCLINIC, Friedrichstraße 71, the private clinic in Quartier 206.
Board-certified plastic surgeon (plastic &
aesthetic surgery), Fellow of EBOPRAS
Dr. Juliane C. Finke and Dr. Stephan Frantzen are full members of the German Society of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (DGPRÄC) and the German Society of Senology (DGS). Dr. Finke is also a Fellow of EBOPRAS and passed the European board examination in 2010; Dr. Frantzen operates on a voluntary basis for INTERPLAST in South America. The jameda seals lead to the independent physician profiles with patient reviews of Dr. Finke and Dr. Frantzen.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Juliane C. Finke and Dr. Stephan Frantzen
Dr. Juliane C. Finke, personally and in every case — from the consultation through the operation to the final examination after one year. If you would prefer to be treated by a woman, that is the arrangement here by default.
That is the question we are asked most. The incision is planned so that the nerve supply stays intact, and lasting loss of sensation is not something we see. Temporary numbness in the first weeks is normal and settles as the swelling does.
There is no fixed date. Most women feel for themselves when they are ready – usually after about eight weeks – and you will get tips on how to prepare. Sport is different: walking from day one, lighter exercise after two to three weeks, cycling, riding and swimming after six weeks. Tampons are fine again from your second period.
No. We use fine self-dissolving sutures throughout, so nothing has to be pulled out.
No. The scars lie along the natural edge of the tissue and are very hard to find once healed. Discretion is part of the treatment, from the way appointments are scheduled to the way we correspond with you.
As a rule no — these are privately paid procedures. Where there is a genuine functional complaint, such as pain during sport or intercourse, an application to a German statutory insurer is possible; the insurer decides. We document the finding for you.
Yes. Consultations and treatments are available in German, English and Spanish.
Book a consultation with Dr. Finke — in German, English or Spanish. We take our time, and nothing is decided at that first appointment.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Juliane C. Finke, board-certified plastic surgeon (plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery), and Dr. Stephan Frantzen, board-certified plastic surgeon and board-certified general surgeon.
Last medically reviewed:
The content of this page is for general information and does not replace medical advice. A binding assessment is only possible after a personal examination.
