Posted , 28 users are following.
I finally found a doctor in LA using C02 laser to drain cyst and remove cyst wall. Just had it done two days ago. According to medical studies online, this is the procedure that has the lowest reoccurance rate of Bartholin Cysts. Any other women out there had it done and care to weigh in on results?
2 likes, 61 replies
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acce 27red32
Posted
Hey - I too am looking for someone who does the CO2 procedure. I'm in Vancouver, BC, but will be in SoCal soon and would appreciate the name of the Dr. in LA or anywhere on the west coast/pacific northwest. Good luck everyone - this is the worst health issue I have ever dealt with and would not wish it on anyone.
27red32 acce
Posted
Hi, Yes I had the laser cyst ablation performed in Los Angeles by a gyno who has done it many times. His name is Dr. David Ghozland. I highly recommend him. Very caring, experienced doctor in his 40s. His dad is still practicing with him, too. Some kind of trailblazer in the gyno surgery world.
Knock on wood, have had no reoccurences in 8 months. And his follow up care was stellar.
You do have to pay out of pocket.
I'm worried if I post his info I'll get reported. He has over 100 reviews on Yelp, so search for him there.
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acce 27red32
Posted
27red32
Posted
acce 27red32
Posted
I agree - have done my research too. I have other health issues that complicate surgery - ehlers danlos syndrome & I'm a redhead that reacts badly to anesthesia. I'd like to try the laser procedure first - can always have the gland removed later if it doesn't work.
m02225 27red32
Posted
acce m02225
Posted
The ablation vaporizes the inside of the cyst wall and the gland. I was told by an obgyn that once you've had these things a few times, especially if it abscesses/gets infected, the cyst and the gland are basically one - indistinguishable - which is why they often opt for removing the whole thing if it keeps recurring.
mi48936 27red32
Edited
Thank you so much for posting this and naming the Doctor. I am in the LA area and just called for an appointment. I have had a nightmare experience with these in the past year. I have had about 8 or 9. The first one I ended up in an ambulance as it was abscessed and the size of a softball- worst pain of my life. Since then I've been getting them lanced and word catheters. Similar to what everyone else experienced, my Dr. can only recommend the surgery which I don't want to do. I would like to try this first and am happy I found out about it, there is not much information this procedure online as a solution to bartholin cysts so. Just wanted to say thank you for sharing and ask if you have any updated results? If you are still in the clear? Also I'm curious about the procedure, was it painful or take a long time? Or is it just performed quickly in the normal office? Curious why you had to pay out of pocket and why insurance wouldn't cover it but I guess can talk them about that. Anymore information you have would be greatly appreciated, thank you!!
kay41379 mi48936
Edited
Did you have the procedure? I'm thinking of going to the doctor in the LA area as well but am pretty stressed out trying to decide between that and marsupialization through my usual gynecologist.
acce kay41379
Edited
I had a marsupialization that was good for for over 4 years before the cyst reoccured. I could not find anyone to do the laser ablation where I live in Vancouver, BC and could not make it down to LA. One gyno wanted to remove the whole gland and another thought that was not the way to go so I had her just drain it and widen the opening at the site of the earlier marsupialization. So far, so good, but it's only been a few months.I think Serrapeptase & mucinex also really help. If I were you, I'd try marsupialization first & if it fails to take care of it, go for the laser. That's what I will do if it comes back again.
27red32 mi48936
Posted
It's been a year and I'm still in the clear with no visible scar. It was not painful in office at all, and over very fast. My recovery had nerve pain for longer than doctor told me it should, but nothing like other women talk about with their nightmare gland surgery stories. Good luck, and please keep us posted.
yvonne76185 27red32
Posted
did your nerve pain go away? sex feel normal after and what about lubrication? Im seeing Dr Ghozland on Tuesday but its so expensive and out of pocket. Are you still pleased with results and confident the cyst wont cone back? Thank you
yvonne76185 mi48936
Posted
did you end up going? i have appt tomorrow
kay41379 yvonne76185
Edited
I'm not sure I'm the person you asked, but I did receive a notification email.
I had this done there in 2018. Recovery was slow, but I'm usually a slow healer. After healing up, the issue still remained.
I ended up getting a marsupialization done by my local gynecologist. She made the opening wider than average since the issue was refractory. So far, so good more than half a year later. The healing process for this was also slow but worth it in the end.
Good luck!
yvonne76185 kay41379
Posted
wow, so you had the CO2 procedure done at Dr Ghozland and it didnt work? Did you go back to him for re-treatment a second time?
The $$ it costs and the fact that insurance wont cover that but will cover the marsupilation with a gyno has me torn but i would totally spend it if it had great results and as wonderful and easy as he( Dr Ghozland) says. What gyno did you use for the surgery? here in LA?
acce yvonne76185
Posted
If your insurance covers marsupialization, I would try that first - if it recurs, you can have laser procedure later, but not the other way around. It's my understanding that co2 laser procedure fries the whole gland, whereas marsupialization preserves the glad, but widens duct opening & kinda stiches it open. It's not a big deal, heals in a month or 2 & I think I actually noticed in improvement in juiciness/lube after. After 4+ years (after I pretty much forgot about it) I did have a recurrence, but got it to drain (with serrapeptase & mucinex) & a quick outpatient procedure to widen opening has been good for almost 2 years.
I would still keep appt. tomorrow to see what Dr. Ghozland has to say about laser procedure vs. marsupialization. I also would ask specifically about preserving some funtion of the gland (does the laser fry/vaporize whole thing?), along with his specific experience with recurrence rates, etc.
kay41379 acce
Edited
This is not accurate. I had the laser procedure first due to it having better outcomes statistically than marsupialization (based on the very few studies available) and fewer horror stories online. When it didn't work, I had marsupialization done the following year. The gland is still functioning after both procedures.
I do agree that there is no harm in meeting with him to discuss the procedure, but he will of course only speak highly of it. I asked him about recurrence rates before having the procedure, but I think the problem is that those who have a recurrence are more likely to go to another doctor than to contact him and let him know. I certainly didn't. He also does not specialize in this procedure so probably doesn't keep up on the latest research and statistics.
This isn't to say that I had any problem with Dr. Ghozland--only that his procedure did not work for me. I also found the scar tissue to be sensitive/painful for maybe half a year after, which is not a problem I had as much with the marsupialization.
kay41379 yvonne76185
Edited
I did not go back to him for a second procedure. I live in Seattle, so it was a pretty expensive and inconvenient procedure for me (there was no one closer who I could find).
The gyno I used is also in Seattle. I don't imagine you want to travel for a procedure that can be done anywhere, but she is very good and I would recommend her. If anyone should be interested in her information, feel free to PM me directly.
acce kay41379
Posted
Thanks for the correction - I was given misinformation about future options after the laser procedure & definitely don't want to spread that.
I live in Vancouver, BC & couldn't find anyone closer than LA when I was looking. It's a tough call - don't know what I'll do if it comes back. Don't want to think about it - need to figure out how to turn these notifications off!