About Dr. Alinsod:
Dr. Red Alinsod was one of the very first surgeons
in the United States to perform the innovative,
safe, and efficacious “trans-obturator tape”
incontinence sling and Posterior IVS vaginal suspension.
He has also pioneered techniques in aesthetic
vaginal surgeries that are both functional and
cosmetic in nature.
What are the advantages of having surgery
by Dr. Alinsod?
Dr. Alinsod has performed beautiful aesthetic
vaginal surgery for thousands of women over the
past 15 years. He has concentrated his skills
in the art of aesthetically pleasing vaginal repairs
and has taught hundreds of gynecologists, urogynecologist,
and urologists. Fellow physicians, physician wives,
nurses, operating room technicians have sought
out Dr. Alinsod to perform their surgeries. Furthermore,
Dr. Alinsod is always in the forefront of his
field and travels extensively to meet and discuss
with other prominent surgeons what is new and
better for the patient. Dr. Alinsod truly cares
for his patients and it is this commitment to
service that drives his entire team.
What are the advantages of having surgery
in Laguna Beach?
We have some of the finest resort lodging available
in California. The Ritz Carlton, St. Regis, and
Montage Resorts are within minutes of our office.
You can choose to have your recovery at one of
these world-class resorts with a home health nurse
visiting you or even staying in an adjoining room
for total care. Of course you can also stay in
the hospital for about the same room rates as
these hotels. Believe or not, the views from the
hospital rooms compete very well with the resorts!
Dr. Alinsod graduated from Loma Linda University
School of Medicine in 1986 and completed his OB/GYN
residency at Loma Linda University Medical Center
in 1990. His focus in those early years was pelvic
surgery. He was the first Rutledge Fellow at MD
Anderson Cancer and Tumor Institute and was also
selected as a Galloway Fellow at Memorial Sloan
Kettering Medical Center.
Red was accepted to Yale’s Gynecologic
Oncology fellowship but was unable to attend due
to a military commitment with the US Air Force
during this time of global strife. His career
took a 180 degree turn as he headed the Gynecologic
Services at George Air Force Base, CA, and Nellis
Air Force Base, NV, as he concentrated on benign
gynecology, urogynecology, and pelvic surgery.
He was affectionately called a “Combat Gynecologist”
by his colleagues. He was the first one to achieve
the Accreditation Council of Gynecologic Endoscopy
in Nevada. He left the Air Force as a Major in
1994 and joined and joined Facey Medical Group
in Southern California. After ten years in Los
Angeles, Dr. Alinsod moved his very successful
practice to the beautiful coastline of Laguna
Beach.
Red is very active in presenting talks locally
and nationally and in teaching physicians the
art and science of incontinence/pelvic reconstructive
surgery. Red’s focus on pelvic surgery to
improve patient lives has led to innovations and
inventions that will have a major impact on how
pelvic reconstructive surgery is performed worldwide.
He remains active in research and design of innovative
products and procedures.
Dr. Alinsod’s focus is on providing the
highest quality of care to his patients in a compassionate
and trustworthy manner. He is absolutely thrilled
to be part of the South Coast family. He welcomes
your correspondence and inquiries.
Dr. Alinsod is adamant about protecting your
privacy and will not do interviews with the media.
Anonymity is golden.
Vaginal Surgery (Labiaplasty) Photos:
Click
here to view Dr. Alinsod's vaginal
surgery before and after pictures.
Vaginal Surgery Costs:
Initial consultations is $125. This includes
private time with me for questions and answers
and an examination to follow. Labiaplasty $4,500.
Vaginoplasty $5,500. Combination labiaplasty and
vaginoplasty $9-10,000. Perineorrhaphy is free when
part of a vaginoplasty. Laser resurfacing is $1,500.
Hymenoplasty is $3,500. Repair of a fallen bladder/rectum/vagina/or
uterus is usually covered by insurance. Incontinence
surgery is usually covered by insurance also.
Procedures Performed:
Aesthetic Vaginal Surgery/Vaginoplasty
This aesthetic vaginal surgery aims to remove
excess vaginal skin to narrow the diameter of
the vagina resulting in a smaller and tighter
introitus (opening) and vaginal vault. This is
usually done in the operating room under general
or spinal anesthesia or under local anesthetic
with some edation. We use the Ellman Surgitron
Radiofrequency device to make exceptionally precise
and minimally traumatic incisions. This method
is dramatically less destructive than the use
of Yag lasers. It takes about 30 minutes to perform.
Many advertise this procedure for the “Enhancement
of Sexual Gratification” as well as a cosmetic
procedure.
Labiaplasty
This surgery is for the removal of excess, floppy,
or uneven labia minora (smaller interior vaginal
lips) that often causes chronic irritation, rubbing,
or discomfort during sexual intercourse. The term
“Labiaplasty” can also relate to the
cosmetic surgery of the labia majora (larger outer
lips) to make it less prominent and floppy. Labiaplasty
is most often done in the operating room but in
selected cases surgery can be done in the office
under local anesthetic at dramatically decreased
costs. The Ellman Surgitron is also the tool of
choice. This procedure takes 30 minutes to
perform.
Hymenoplasty
This surgery is the reconstruction of the hymen.
Cultural, religious, or social reasons predominate
when this surgery is contemplated. Hymenoplasty
is performed to make the patient appear virginal.
It only works for women who have not had vaginal
deliveries, and preferably, in those who have
never been pregnant. We take advantage of the
Ellman Surgitron to make extremely precise incisions
into the vagina and remnants of the hymeneal ring
to bring them into close approximation to allow
delicate sutures to hold the tissues in place.
Once healed, the act of sexual intercourse can
result in bleeding when the hymen is torn or stretched.
This procedure takes 15 to 30 minutes to perform.
Perineoplasty/ Perineorrhapy
The visible area between the vagina and the rectum
is called the perineum. This is the region where
episiotomies are cut and where tears during childbirth
are most common. Perineoplasty (or Perineorrhaphy)
aims to make this region appear normal by excising
excess skin, loose skin tags, and suturing the
underlying muscles or the perineal body closer
together to give a more snug feeling in the introitus
or vaginal opening. This procedure has been advertised
by many to “Enhance Sexual Gratification.”
The procedure almost always accompanies vaginoplasty
since you are working in the same area. There
is no extra charge for this procedure when done
with vaginoplasty. This procedure takes 10 to
15 minutes to perform.
Laser Resurfacing
CO2 lasers have been used for over 20 years to
ablate lesions in the vaginal area. Examples include
venereal warts and skin tags. They have also been
used to treat precancerous vulvar, vaginal, and
cervical lesions. We often marveled at the beautiful
new tighter skin that grew after a laser treatment.
We have used the CO2 lasers since 1986 with excellent
success. Now, the CO2 laser is getting more acceptance
by other gynecologists as a tool for cosmetic
vaginal surgery and resurfacing. Other lasers
that have been used in the vaginal region include
the Yag lasers of varying wavelengths. Laser resurfacing
takes 5 to 15 minutes to perform.
Cystocele Repair
A cystocele is when the bladder falls down and
often becomes visible. Urinary leakage often accompanies
a cystocele. Cystoceles may cause pelvic pressure
or just be unsightly. Cystocele repair (also called
Anterior Repair or Anterior Colporrhaphy is the
surgical reduction of the bulge to place the bladder
back into its normal anatomic location. The traditional
repair of plicating or overlapping tissues with
suture unfortunately has a very high failure rate
ranging from 25 to 60 percent. It is certainly
one of the most challenging surgeries gynecologists
and urogynecologists perform. More modern surgery
treats cystoceles as a hernia of the bladder into
the vagina, hence, the use of mesh or donor tissues
as a patch or graft has been gaining steady acceptance.
We have some of the most extensive experience
in this type of surgery in the United States with
success rates of about 90% in our hands.
Urethrocele Repair
The urethra is the tube that drains the bladder.
The urethra is where you see urine coming out.
This structure may fall down just like the bladder
does. This often results in leakage of urine when
one coughs, laughs, jumps, or bends down. Repair
of this organ often means you must place a
mesh below it and support it to stop the leakage
of urine. Many women have urethroceles with absolutely
no symptoms. No surgery is needed in these asymptomatic
patients.
Rectocele Repair
When the bulge into the vagina comes from the
rectum it is called a rectocele. As with other
forms of pelvic organ prolapse (cystoceles, enteroceles,
vaginal prolapse) childbirth, chronic cough, chronic
constipation, and obesity are predisposing factors.
Symptoms are similar to cystoceles such as pelvic
pressure, an unsightly bulge in the vagina, and
constipation. Furthermore, the need of reaching
into the vagina to push stool out is not uncommon.
Surgical repair consists of using sutures to bunch
up the bulging tissues together. More modern repair
consists of the use of mesh or donor tissues.
This newer method gives success rates of over
95% in our hands.
Enterocele Repair
A bulge into the vagina can also be caused by
small bowel pushing the vaginal tissues. This
is called an enterocele. It can occur at the same
time as a cystocele and a rectocele. In fact,
we often cannot tell what is causing the bulge
in the vagina whether it is bladder, rectum, or
bowel, or all! Modern repair uses mesh or donor
tissue with excellent success found. This repair
is technically quite challenging and few are trained
in the modern repair of this problem.
Vaginal Vault Suspension
A vagina that looses its support may come down
and out into the open air. The degree of vaginal
prolapse may vary from just having the top fall
down a few centimeters to ones that completely
go inside out. If a woman still has her uterus
then this is called a uterovaginal prolapse. If
only the uterus falls out and the top of the vagina
is still well suspended then it is called a uterine
prolapse. Vaginal vault suspension can be done
in many ways. Some physicians prefer an abdominal
approach to attach the top of the fallen vagina
to the sacrum. Some highly skilled surgeons do
this laparoscopicaly. The procedure is called
a sacralcolpopexy. More often a vaginal approach
is performed. The top of the vagina can be sutured
to the uterosacral ligaments or to the sacrospinous
ligaments. Either approach works well with different
complications to consider. A newer procedure called
the Posterior IVS (Intravaginal Slingplasty) has
been developed in Australia and New Zealand, popularized
in Europe, and now approved in the United States.
This vaginal approach uses a polypropylene mesh
that is attached to the top of the vagina and
suspended “tension-free” via two small
incisions near the anus and one incision in the
vagina. You can view this procedure in my Video
Library. The success rates of all methods are
approximately the same at 80 – 90%.
Incontinence Sling
The newest and safest trend to deal with incontinence
involves the use of polypropylene, an inert nylon-type
material, that is placed right under the mid urethra
to act as a backboard when one sneezes or coughs
to then occlude or block the urethral opening
and either decrease of stop the leakage of urine.
These procedures are all called “Tension-Free”
because the slings are not sutured into muscle,
fascia, or bone and are just left alone for ones
own fibroblast to ingrow and hold the mesh. You
may hear the term TVT or TOT. They refer to the
route the slings are placed. TVT, or tension-free
vaginal tape can be placed through an incision
right above your pubic bone. TOT, or transobturator
tape, is placed through incisions on the crease
of your inner thighs. These incisions are just
about invisible. Both procedures are outpatient
surgeries of about 15 to 30 minutes.
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