Your Questions

Q: Dr. Eppley, Can you do liposuction on the pubic area of a woman? The mons pubis I believe? I have attachments some photos of mine which is oversized tremendously. (as you can see in the attached pictures) How much would a procedure like this cost? How is it performed? What is the recovery?

A: It is very common to do liposuction on the mons area (pubic liposuction) and it can provide a significant reduction. However, your mons problem is going to require more than just liposuction due to the excess skin. You need a combined pubic lift to remove and tighten the loose mons skin that will result from it being deflated of fat at the time of the liposuction. Think of it as a reverse mini tummy with an incision in the skin fold at the upper end of the pubic region. This combined liposuction and lift of the mons area is technically know as a monsplasty. This is a one hour outpatient procedure done under general anesthesia. Its total cost is in the range of $4500. There is usually swelling and bruising of the pubic region and mild discomfort and it will take a full six weeks until the true final resut will be seen.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana

Q:  Dr. Eppley, I had a belt lipectomy six months ago.  The tummy tuck portion in the front did lift my pubic area a bit but it is still puffs out below the scar line compared to the tight abdomen above it. When I lay on my side, my abdomen is tight but the pubic area is puffy and sags like old wrinkled skin. While standing it just looks a bit puffy but no wrinkles. What pubic reduction method would work the best and can it be done under local anesthesia?

A: It is not uncommon that pubic or mons fullness becomes evident after a tummy tuck or curcumferential lower body lift. While this fullness was always there, it becomes apparent when the tightness of the scar above it is more narrow than the original projection of the pubic tissue. Every tummy tuck does create some degree of a pubic lift but it may not be enough to obscure the larger pubic mounds that exist in those that need a circumferential body lift. If this is diagnosed in advance, it can be incorporated into the frontal tummy tuck design or undergo liposuction for reduction. On a secondary basis, pubic reduction can be done liposuction alone or combined with a pubic lift skin excision pattern. Since it appears by your description that you need more than just liposuction, I would recommend a general anesthesia approach.  

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana