Bartholin Cyst Gland Excision Experience - POSITIVE
Posted , 30 users are following.
It's extremely hard to find any positive experiences of this surgery, and even the horror stories are almost slim to none. This is such a common problem and the longer I've had these cysts, the more people I've realized get them too and I'm not the only one. I hope this helps someone going through the same thing because I get it. It's AWFUL.
I have had 8 Bartholin cysts, which became infected every time in the last 7 years. I am 23 now and I got my first at 16. About a year ago, I had a marsupialization as a permanent solution after several in-office lancings, catheters, etc. 3 months later, I developed another cyst and discovered that antibiotics made it drain on its own and it was gone. Got another one 3 months after that, 6 months post-op. Same treatment at home - antibiotics made it drain. 4 months after this, 10 months post-op, I got my third since my surgery. Antibiotics didn't take, so I made an appointment after about a week and they happened to have a cancellation the next day for surgery and my OB/GYN suggested I go through with the excision surgery I have been dreading because of these horror stories I have read (and cried) about for months.
I had my excision 6 days ago and am feeling okay. Waking up after the surgery was terrible and I was in excruciating pain for a few hours, but I was told no morphine/pain medicine was used during the surgery, so it was warranted. I took pain medication for the first 12 hours in conjunction with 500mg ibuprofen every 6 six hours, and it mostly just uncomfortable. I did not sleep for more than 3-4 hours at a time, and slept with a pillow in between my legs for comfort, but I was able to keep up with my medicine. I used an ice pack on and off for 20 mins at a time for the first 36 hours to help with swelling.
Now 6 days out, I am somewhat pain-free. And mind you, I have like, ZERO tolerance for pain. I'm the biggest baby. There was some bleeding right after the surgery, but it turned to just some discharge by the next morning, and I have had a tiny bit over the last day or so. Here and there I get a pang of slight pain or a pinching feeling that hurts, but it goes away. I am a bartender so I have to be off of work for 10-14 days and have been resting as much as I possibly can. It is mostly just uncomfortable and I can't stand for too long of a time before needing to sit/lay again. This experience is straining on my relationship (he was here for my marsupialization in the very beginning), but we both agreed that this was the right thing for me to do. I know that I can't live my life afraid of this happening forever and always wondering when it's going to come back, so I went through with the surgery. I have a check up appointment with my OB/GYN who also performed the surgery this week, a little after a week post-op. I am still taking my ibuprofen every 6 hours to manage soreness/discomfort and I have been on a week of antibiotics to prevent infection.
I decided to look today after the swelling and possible bruising has gone down and was definitely surprised at the amount and placement of the stitches. My doctor said they were inside the vagina rather than outside like my marsupialization (which was terrible because I had them for 8 weeks and they hurt like hell), but they run all the way from the gland and up to the top on the right side in the inner labia. It's not pretty but I'll take a little ugliness over pain and fear for the rest of my life.
All in all, I'd say this is going to be worth it so far. Happy to post updates if it helps someone else reading comments on the internet until they're crying themselves to sleep out of fear like I did. I would have loved to see A) real information that is actually helpful and B) positive experiences that made all my anxiety and tears worth it.
6 likes, 40 replies
b67309 laura58118
Posted
Thank you for sharing your experience it is so deeply frustrating and sad that there is not much information available about this Gland or research talking about root cause etc.
I have a Large Batholin gland on my left labia and it has been that way for over a year no pain or discomfort luckily but i am worried about it constantly as the Gynocoligist i saw didnt give me any information or my Gp didn't know enough all anyone says is if it causes pain go to the hospital immediately. I have been placed on a waiting list to have it surgically removed but am not sure if i should or not as it has never caused pain or physical discomfort its just worrying and i would like to know if i have surgery it will not come back, make it worse or cause other issues in such a sacred and sensitive area.
i have tryed hot compresses hot water bottles and sitz baths but none have made it go away.
I would love to hear how your scar is healing and how you felt going back to work was the 14days rest enough and how long after surgery were you ok to be intimate again?
paula25689 laura58118
Posted
so ive had my batholin gland removed on the 1st March, its something i had not considered when i got my first infections at 14/15, and then i got sick twice a year till i was 21 , and i was sure i wanted the source of the problem removed. Doctors and nurses in Ireland told me that it is a bloody and complicated surgery that they refuse to give me , one nurse even told me that ill have to live with this till my menopause. the way i was treated in hospital was ridiculous and degrading, although a common problem, i was treated very badly. in the last few years i had 3 attemts at a cather being put in, two of which failed and the first was traumatising, they all were traumatising , i would begin to cry while i waited for the nurse to look at the infection, because i knew it was a never ending circle of pain and antibiotics (which no longer helped) . the infection was so bad the last two times that they couldnt fit a cather bcs the cyst had ruptured prior to my sheduled doctors visit, which made me very happy knowing i wont have to walk arounf with a cather for a month, but also scared because i knew it was only time till i got sick again.
fast forward two months, i moved to riga for the semester and got looked after right away. the gynie told me that the cyst is "a ticking time bomb that needs to go" , which shocked me ! as noone had spoken about this problem seriously or with a solution before.
i had a lot tests done before surgery, scan of my lungs, blood test and some other one. the surgery was very professional, they gave me calming medicine before they sent me to the table. the anesthesia worked like magic but i woke up very confused with pain slowly building in between my legs, i cried for an hour and then slept for 2. i went home that same night, all by myself, which took forever and was very uncomfortable so i recommend you have family witing for you. all in all i feel grateful and i dont think it still has set in, that i no longer need to get sick or take antibiotics twice a year. being refused treatment for something that can be solved quickly and efficiently is messed up, im glad i asked for different opinions and that this opinion let me to the doctors table.
the cut goes from the gland to the centre of my labia, its swollen, purple and painful but every day the swelling goes down and the pain too , im on day 5 of recovery and im finally happy to share this story with you. if you have this problem try and look for help, no one deserves to go trough what we had...
solveig12876 laura58118
Posted
how dis your recovery go in the longer term?
5 months after my excision i still have tenderness and sex is quite uncomfotable . this worries me.. anyone else have a long recovery time? (my cyst was very inflamed at time of the op which caused a lot of bleeding i dont think that was the right time for the surgery in retrospect)
alice43541 laura58118
Posted
hi,
i know this thread is quite old however i need some advice!
I had my bartholin gland removed in March, privately instead of NHS as i couldnt wait
i am having some pain down there especially during and after sex, in my opinion it looks slightly swollen but i am not sure if is just extra skin from where the cyst used to be.
should i go to a doctor? or am i expected to have painful sex and be out of action for days at a time now? even sitting down going to the toilet feels tender down there and has ever since the surgery!
not sure if this is normal 3 months after? can i have your guys' experiences please? sorry if TMI!!
natasha99043 laura58118
Edited
Hi everyone,
I know I'm extremely late to this but I had an excision of both my bartholin's glands last week and just wanted some advice from people with first hand experience really.
I had mine done last week, got home and one side looked fine but the other was so swollen and bruised (but looked like a big blood ball at that point). Strangely it was the side with the smaller cyst. I rang the gyny the next day she said it was normal and to just ice it etc. The other day I was trying to get a good look at it and could see the incision site on that bad side but nothing on the other, it was still swollen and I was worried the incision site looked slightly open (this is my first surgery/stitches so I didn't really know what to expect! So I sent photos and called her again - she said normal again and stitches are inside hence why I can't see them. The day after I called her it started bleeding from a tiny hole in that side. and its been on and off bleeding since - clots then starts up again. This is the second day of it now. I don't know what to do. Weirdly it is now less sore since it started bleeding, almost like the pressure is easing. But I'm worried one of the stitches tore. I've also just finished my antibiotics and I'm worried if that tiny hole is open I'll get an infection. Do I call the gyny again? I feel like she'll just tell me its normal. I'm scheduled to see her in 4 days. Do I just wait till then? Do I call the GP? Did any of you have bleeding a week after?
The gyny originally told me I could go back to work 4 days after the surgery but no riding (I work with horses). I've allocated myself 2 weeks off and I'm so glad I did because there's no way I could do my job like this. I feel like she really didn't understand what I do and how much physical activity it involves and now I'm worried to go back even after 2 weeks. Did your doctors all tell you not to do physical activity for a while? Should I not being going back to work for longer? I'm just so confused! I feel like my gyny just doesn't really explain a lot, I dunno.
Sorry for such a long post guys, I
hope you can all help me I'm just kinda freaking out and regretting my decision to have this done.
natasha99043
Posted
I'd just like to add because I've just taken a good look at it, and had a soft feel, it is now wayyyy less swollen. I'm assuming it was just full of blood in there. That makes me feel better that its less swollen because of the bleeding. I wonder if the bleeding will stop once it's fully drained?
I'm still a bit concerned about that tiny hole. And don't know whether it would have been better for the blood to stay in there and just be reabsorbed?
isha51893 natasha99043
Posted
Hi Natasha,
how are you feeling now? do you still regret getting the surgery done to remove the glands? I'm considering to get it done on my left side because I got marsupialization done and its not even been an entire month and I got a swelling again. I don't want this torture for the rest of my life. so I thought of getting it removed. Can you pls tell me what was your recovery like in detail?
thanks. Wishing you well. May God bless you.
pri75561 isha51893
Posted
hiya.
I am planning to have my bartholin glands removed. i have a consultation in a week. i dont know if i should do one first and then another. i have been looking online at countless forums and im gland ive found this website to connect with women. because doctors arnt telling me i should remove it which is very annoying.
a lot of these posts are really old unfortunately . if you have got the procedure done do you mind sharing your past experience with me thank you so much. x
pri75561
Posted
im glad i found this website**
i have been researching bartholin glands so much im automatically typing gland.:(
this condition is so annoying i was told by a&e to have marsuplization but i have told them i want a balloon catheter and it drained instead so i can go ahead and get the gland removed 😦 this is what i had before and it seems better option if im going ahead for my surgery.
steph17881 laura58118
Posted
This is an old thread but I wanted to share my experience. I have struggled with BG cyst on the left side for 7 years. The first one I ever got was infected, got a word cath which fell out 2 days later, the cyst swelled up right after but never got infected again. Since then I've had two children, 5 word caths, 2 marsupializations. None of them ever worked, the cyst would always return almost immediately.
I finally found a ob/gyn to perform the gland excision, and it was removed yesterday- 3cmx4cm in size. I can't lie...I'm in more pain than I expected since I have a high pain tolerance. Sitting is unbearable. I avoided pain meds when I got home but finally had to take one today. Too scared to look down there to see what it looks like but here are some helpful tips for after surgery: peri bottle (use this every time you pee with very warm water), dermaplast spray, and tucks medicated pads. Those are all things you use after delivery of babies and this excision surgery honestly hurts worse than after all three of my vaginal deliveries. I would also recommend taking a stool softener to help with bowel movements following pain meds and just the pressure/fear that can cause.
I knew the risks going into this procedure but all of them were outweighed by the thought of have these BG cysts gone for good--they have been causing me so much shame and discomfort. I will be glad when this is all in the past!