Bartholin Gland Excision Experience

Just wanted to hop on here and share some of my Bartholin cyst journey, because reading about the experiences from other women on here is really what helped me make the decision to finally have my gland excised.

I got my first Bartholin cyst in 2014, and it abscessed. With a combination of three sitz baths per day in ACV, baking soda and yerba mansa tincture as well as occasional hot compresses, it burst on its own after about a week. It returned after a couple years, but was very small and seemed to shrink on it's own. And then, in the midst of a tough breakup, it returned again. I tried all the natural remedies, and nothing worked to make it rupture on its own. I was decidedly single at the time, and it wasn't abscessed, so I just let it be for a few years because it wasn't really affecting my quality of life.

But then it grew to about the size of a large egg, and it became more and more uncomfortable and I wanted to start dating again, so I went to my OB-GYN and they recommended lancing and draining it and inserting a word catheter. The catheter was supposed to stay in for three weeks, but the balloon deflated within the first two hours of me getting home from the procedure. Needless to say, the cyst returned within a couple weeks. I felt very discouraged, so again, I left it alone for about a year.

Over that span of time, it grew significantly, and it was very deep. I honestly got anxious every single time I got even a little aroused because I could tell that it was just causing that gland to become more and more filled with fluid, and that's a horrible way to live! I went back to the OB-GYN and she recommended either trying the word catheter again (hard pass) or marsupialization. I opted for the latter. The procedure itself went well, and I was surprised to have little to no pain after. However, I noticed after about 6 weeks that the "window" they had created was almost completely closed, and while I knew it was supposed to get smaller over time, I worried that the procedure wouldn't be effective in creating a permanent new "duct" for the gland. Well, after a few months, I felt a lump in the area, and my gut told me the cyst was returning, but when I went back to the OB-GYN, I saw a male practitioner rather than my regular doctor who assured me it was just scar tissue and said it was normal and nothing to worry about. Women know their own bodies, and of course he was wrong. 6 months later, the cyst was back and was bigger than ever.

I saw a different OB-GYN, and was very surprised that she recommended trying the word catheter again as an effective solution, but when I expressed that I wanted a permanent solution, she agreed that excision was the best option. I had the procedure done almost three weeks ago, and had a follow-up with my surgeon a week post-op. She was the same surgeon who had performed my marsupialization, and she said that they do not perform this procedure very often because it's very bloody and it's difficult to suture effectively. But she said that they had to go in about 3 inches to completely excise the gland because it was so deep, so she felt that the excision was absolutely necessary in my case. She said that they had to cut through four layers of tissue to remove the gland so I have multiple layers of sutures, but they are all internal, and honestly, she did such a great job of placing the incision within my vaginal canal that I can't even see it. She noticed in my post-op appointment that some of the top layer of sutures had come undone, but she said that it should still heal fine. I was basically on bed rest that first week because the pain was so intense, so I assume that simply sitting wrong or perhaps sneezing or something is all it took to make the sutures open. If you have this procedure, take your doctor seriously when they say TAKE IT EASY!

So now in my third week of recovery, there is still some drainage and wound exudate coming from the incision, but it has lessened significantly and the pain is nearly gone. Sitting is still pretty uncomfortable, and physical activity makes it sore, but I'm not taking any pain medication at this point because it's very tolerable. I do a sitz bath every day and do a rinse with warm water every time I use the restroom to keep it clean and to help the tissues heal. My surgeon said that there will likely be a lot of scar tissue that will need to be broken up and recommended pelvic physiotherapy to assist with that and to help rebuild nerve function in the area. After lots of research, I do intend to go forward with that and hope that it helps make sex more comfortable and enjoyable once my sutures have healed.

Overall, I do feel this was the best decision I could have made for myself. The recovery is a long process and it's hard to be patient but I really think it's worth it. I'm not worried about a lack of lubrication, because honestly, when I did have the cyst and it was completely blocked, I still got wet just fine. I expect it'll be the same once I'm healed. Anyway, both my surgeon and I are expecting that we never have to see one another for this problem again! If you're on the fence about doing an excision, just do it. If your doctor won't do it, find a different doctor. Hope this helps someone. ❤️

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