I had the surgery - not pleasant. Sorest thing I've ever gone through and I've had a lumber puncture, impacted teeth removed wide awake, wide awake/unanaesthetised catheterisation, two broken bones.. None of that compares.
I know I had a lot of local anesthetic injections just at the end of the op but they only lasted some six hours, and when they did I was sobbing. I couldn't move due to pain, even just simple things like having a wee left me in floods of tears. I had to spend the night in hospital, then had home visits from the GP and district nurse for a week. I couldn't walk for a week, then couldn't walk without discomfort for another fortnight after that - and had the discomfort having the stitches removed at the surgery a month later.
The results were as I wanted - my labia now sit neatly inside, and I haven't lost too much sensation (although the ends aren't very touch sensitive at all), nor do I have much scarring. For me I would say the op was worth it but at the time it wasn't nice at all.
But honestly - see the surgery as the very last resort. I had little choice - I was covered in callouses, sore ripped and torn skin, unhealed fissures, endless infections and urine infections due to a weird pouch that formed. Even with all that though I had to see three gynaecologists, several GPs, and had to fight my case numerous times (and still do - there are more than a few doctors who have made sarky comments about NHS funds and time wasters etc, and one bitch who asked if I watched pornography, in case my problem was caused by that).
By all means see the doctor but if they offer barrier creams, or canesten etc do try that first - don't see the surgery as the best option, it really really isn't unless you're really struggling with pain.