Vaginal Filler · Treatment

Vaginal Filler Removal and Own-Tissue Reconstruction

Vaginal filler removal takes out gel or foreign material that was injected into the vaginal tissue and, where needed, repairs the tissue afterward. Hyaluronic acid filler can be dissolved with a hyaluronidase injection; permanent, non-dissolvable, migrated or encapsulated material must be removed surgically. At Somssi Women's Clinic in Gangnam, Seoul, Dr. Yoon Ho-joo removes the material and reconstructs the vagina with your own tissue in a single same-day procedure.

Medically reviewed by Dr. Yoon Ho-joo, MD, PhD, OB/GYN specialist, Somssi Women's Clinic · Last updated October 2026

At a glance

Key facts

The essentials, based on how Somssi Women's Clinic performs this procedure or answers this question. Your plan is confirmed at consultation.

• Methods: hyaluronidase injection for HA filler; surgical excision for PLA, PMMA, silicone, granulomas or migrated gel
• Procedure time: minutes for dissolving; removal with reconstruction is a single operation, confirmed at consultation
• Anesthesia: local for dissolving; sedation plus long-acting local, or local alone, for surgery
• Hospital stay: none, you leave the same day once you have urinated
• Sutures: absorbable, dissolve in about a week, no removal visit
• Intercourse: about 7 to 8 weeks after surgical reconstruction
• Performed by: Dr. Yoon Ho-joo, MD, PhD, OB/GYN specialist, in practice since 2000

What is vaginal filler removal?

Vaginal filler removal is the process of taking injected gel or other foreign material out of the vaginal tissue. The method depends entirely on what was injected. Hyaluronic acid (HA) filler can be broken down with an enzyme called hyaluronidase. Everything else, including polylactic acid (PLA), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), liquid silicone, unknown products and any filler that has migrated or been walled off by scar tissue, has to be removed surgically.

Removal is rarely the whole job. Filler that has caused trouble usually leaves behind thinned, scarred or inflamed tissue, and the laxity the filler was meant to treat is still there. That is why at Somssi Women's Clinic removal is almost always combined with reconstruction of the vaginal wall and pelvic floor using your own tissue.

Somssi Women's Clinic is a surgical gynecology clinic in Gangnam, Seoul, founded in 2000 and led by Dr. Yoon Ho-joo, MD, PhD. The clinic's stated philosophy is to avoid foreign materials, whether mesh, implants or permanent fillers, and its revision program exists for women whose earlier procedures elsewhere left them with pain, lumps or no benefit.

Who is a good candidate for filler removal?

You may need removal if, after a vaginal filler injected at another clinic, you have any of the following:

• Hard lumps or nodules you can feel at or inside the opening, sometimes appearing months or years later.
• Pain, burning or a catching sensation during intercourse that began after the injection.
• Swelling, discharge, recurrent infection or an abscess near the injection site.
• A feeling that the filler has moved, with a bulge in a new place or an uneven, lopsided opening.
• Over-filling that makes the entrance too tight or makes intercourse impossible.
• No improvement at all, with the inner vagina still feeling loose, and a wish for a lasting repair.
• A permanent or unknown material injected, even without symptoms, if you want it out before it causes problems.

If you are not sure what was injected, you are still a candidate; see what to do if you do not know what filler you received.

How Somssi performs vaginal filler removal

Step 1: identify the material and map it

Dr. Yoon begins with the same structured assessment used for every revision patient: a sexual-function consultation, pelvic ultrasound of the uterus and ovaries, measurement of vaginal length and width, and a careful examination of the opening and canal. Ultrasound helps show where the filler sits, how deep it is, and whether it has clumped or spread. Any records you have from the original clinic, including the product name and lot number, are extremely helpful.

Step 2: dissolve what can be dissolved

If the filler is confirmed or strongly suspected to be hyaluronic acid, we inject hyaluronidase into the gel. The enzyme breaks the HA down within hours to a few days. More than one session is sometimes needed, and we test for sensitivity first because allergic reactions, though rare, can occur. Dissolving does not treat scarring or restore tone, so many patients go on to reconstruction once the gel is gone.

Step 3: surgical excision for everything else

PLA, PMMA, silicone, calcium-based products, granulomas and encapsulated gel cannot be dissolved. These are removed by excision. Dr. Yoon peels the mucosa over the material to under one millimeter using the fine ophthalmic micro-scissors he uses for all vaginal surgery, lifts out the filler together with the inflammatory capsule around it, and then assesses the muscle layer beneath. Working on the lower (posterior) wall and the opening, and leaving the upper wall against the bladder untouched, protects the urethra, bladder and the most sensitive nerves.

Step 4: reconstruct with your own tissue

Once the material is out, the clinic repairs the defect using the same principles as its posterior colporrhaphy. The pelvic floor muscles on either side are gathered and sutured toward the center first, then the mucosa is closed in a second layer, so the repair does not stretch back. Where the inner canal is also loose, the repair extends from the front of the cervix down to the opening; where the uterus has descended, a hysteropexy lifts and fixes it. No mesh, implant or new filler is placed.

This combination of removal and native-tissue reconstruction is what the clinic means by its revision program, and it is the reason many patients travel to Seoul rather than having a removal alone close to home.

Anesthesia, duration and hospital stay

Hyaluronidase injection is done under local anesthesia in a short clinic visit. Surgical removal with reconstruction is done under sedation (sleep) anesthesia combined with a mix of long-acting local anesthetics, or under local anesthesia alone if you prefer to stay awake and talk with the doctor. The clinic's own vaginal reconstruction takes about 50 minutes to an hour; the time added by removing filler depends on how much there is and how widely it has spread, which Dr. Yoon will estimate at your consultation.

There is no hospital stay. You walk out of the operating room, rest in the recovery area, and are discharged once you have urinated, usually within a few hours. A non-narcotic anti-inflammatory is given at the surgical site to limit pain in the first day.

Recovery timeline

If you only had hyaluronidase without surgery, recovery is much shorter: a few days of mild swelling, with intercourse usually possible within one to two weeks. Our guide on filler removal recovery time covers both paths in detail.

Results and what to expect

The aim of removal is relief: the lump, pain or swelling goes away because its cause is gone. The aim of reconstruction is to leave you with a vagina that feels tight, supported and natural, built from your own tissue rather than something injected into it. In the clinic's experience, patients who have struggled with filler complications for years often describe the removal itself as the biggest relief.

Results vary. Tissue that has been inflamed for a long time may heal with some firmness, and nerves and small vessels in the reconstructed wall take several months to regenerate. Dr. Yoon's 2005 study on sexual function after colpoperineoplasty found improvements in the women followed up, but every patient's starting point is different, and we will give you an honest forecast at consultation rather than a promise.

Risks and how we reduce them

Filler removal and reconstruction are surgery, and surgery carries risk:

• Bleeding and hematoma: minimized by peeling rather than cutting the mucosa and by two-layer closure.
• Infection or wound separation: more likely where filler has already caused inflammation; we treat active infection before operating.
• Incomplete removal: material that has spread in tiny deposits cannot always be taken out entirely; we remove what is causing symptoms and tell you what remains.
• Scarring, asymmetry or over-tightening: addressed by conservative design and by reconstructing rather than simply excising.
• Altered sensation or dryness: reduced by avoiding the upper wall and by preserving nerves and vessels.
• Rectal or cul-de-sac injury: a known risk of posterior wall surgery, which is why fine instruments and shallow dissection matter.
• Hyaluronidase allergy: rare; we test first and keep emergency medication on hand.
• Anesthesia risks: low with sedation plus local, but never zero.

Read our full discussion of whether filler removal is safe before you decide.

Why international patients choose Somssi

Vaginal filler is injected widely in many countries, but few clinics are set up to remove it well and rebuild the tissue afterward. Women come to Somssi from across Asia, the Middle East, Europe, North America and Australia for exactly this. Consultations are in English, surgery and discharge happen on the same day, sutures dissolve on their own, and follow-up continues by message or video after you fly home, so you do not need repeated visits.

The clinic is 100 meters from Gangnam Station Exit 1, has been a Ministry of Health and Welfare registered institution for foreign patients since 2011 and a Seoul medical tourism cooperation clinic since 2016. Dr. Yoon has published on female sexual function in Korean and international journals and presented at ESSM, ISSWSH, WAS and SMSNA congresses. See our international patients page for travel planning, or contact us with your history and we will tell you what your options are.

Questions patients ask

Frequently asked questions

Short, honest answers. For anything personal, a consultation is the right place to ask.

See the full FAQ →

How do you know whether my filler can be dissolved or needs surgery?

We start with your records and an ultrasound. Hyaluronic acid looks different on ultrasound from PLA, PMMA or silicone, and it responds to a small test dose of hyaluronidase. If the gel softens within a day or two, it is HA and can be dissolved. If it does not respond, or if it is hard, encapsulated or scattered, surgical removal is the answer.

Will removing the filler leave me loose again?

If the filler was the only thing holding the opening in, yes, the looseness returns once it is gone, which is one reason we combine removal with reconstruction. Rebuilding the posterior wall and pelvic floor with your own tissue gives a lasting result that does not depend on injected material.

Can filler removal and vaginoplasty be done in the same operation?

Yes, and that is the usual approach at Somssi. Removing the material first and reconstructing in the same session avoids a second anesthetic and a second recovery. Only when there is active infection or a very large inflammatory mass do we stage the procedures.

Is it painful afterward?

Long-acting local anesthetic and a non-narcotic anti-inflammatory given at the end of surgery keep the first day comfortable for most patients. You will have oral medication for about five days. Most women describe soreness rather than sharp pain and are back to normal daily activities the next day.

Does the clinic itself inject filler?

The clinic offers a PLA and HA filler for a small group of mild cases, and we are transparent that this is a limited, temporary option. Our main work is reconstructive surgery, and most filler-related visits are for removal of material placed elsewhere. We will never recommend filler to a woman whose problem needs a structural repair.

How long should I stay in Seoul after filler removal?

For hyaluronidase alone, two or three days is enough. For surgical removal with reconstruction, we suggest staying about a week so Dr. Yoon can check the wound before you fly. After that, follow-up is handled remotely and sutures dissolve on their own.

Keep reading

Related treatments and guides

• How Long Does Vaginal Filler Removal Recovery Take? — week-by-week timeline for dissolving and for surgery
• Is Vaginal Filler Removal Safe? Risks and Complications Explained — the real risks and how they are managed
• Vaginal Filler Removal in Korea for Foreigners: Complete Guide — how to plan treatment from abroad
• Vaginal Filler Removal vs Dissolving: Which Do I Need? — a side-by-side comparison
• Vagina Filler Removal — who needs it and what a visit to Somssi looks like
• Vaginoplasty (Vaginal Tightening Procedure) — the reconstruction performed after removal
• International Patients — consultation, travel and follow-up from abroad

Sources and medical review

• US Food and Drug Administration, safety communications on dermal fillers and on unapproved "vaginal rejuvenation" procedures
• Te Linde's Operative Gynecology, chapters on posterior colporrhaphy and perineorrhaphy
• Yoon H-J. Perineal plastic surgery (colpoperineoplasty) and female sexual function. Korean J Obstet Gynecol. 2005;48(6).
• International Urogynecological Association (IUGA), patient information on vaginal surgery and complications

Next step

A consultation first. A decision only when you are ready.

Tell us what you are experiencing and what you hope to change. Dr. Yoon examines, measures and explains the options, including when no surgery is the right answer. International patients can start with an online consultation before travelling to Seoul.