Bartholin's cyst surgery?

Hi ladies!

Wow, it's been a while since I've been on here, hope you are all hanging in there! The good news is that after my vestibulectomy, I am almost 100% pain free!!! That is truly wonderful. Bad news, my stupid surgeon messed up and covered my Bartholin's glands, and I've now developed two big Bartholins cysts. I went to Alana's awesome GYN, and he said my best option is removal of the cysts and both Bartholins glands. Now I'm terrified for a number of reasons. One, I won't be able to get lubricated anymore after the glands are removed. Two, this surgery has a high risk of complications, and pain is the biggest one!! A lot of women develop scar tissue that causes pain with sex. The whole reason I had a vestibulectomy was so that some day I could have pain free sex! I feel really depressed and devastated, like this is a cruel joke. Have any of you ladies had Bartholins cysts? Can you advise me? Thank you!

Jenn

Text me

MY VULVODYNIA WAS CAUSED BY BARTHOLIN CYSTS !
don't do the surgery !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
if done wrong, you could suffer from pundendal neuralgia for the rest of your life.

Hi Mary Jane,

Oh my gosh, could you tell me what happened? I am really scared because I don't know of other alternatives, my cysts are getting big and causing muscle pain. Did you have yours drained, or the entire gland removed?? What happened?? Did they make a mistake?? Please get back to me!

lubrication isn't the issue here, you could buy an advanced formula lubricant for post-menopausal women.
Ask you doctor about nerve damage after this surgery. If the doctor is not careful, he/she may leave you in chronic pain for life.
Where do you live? there is an expert doctor in London for this type of surgery.

I had mine lanced 4 times, and now I have nerve pain after the latest cyst which ruptured on its own.

Hi Mary Jane,

Thanks for the reply. I live in Orlando, Florida, and have a good GYN. It is scary, because I've read so many bad things about this cyst stuff, but I don't have a lot of alternatives. Mine are growing bigger, and causing me muscle pain. So yours were all drained, but you didn't have the gland removed? Did they use a catheter after draining? Yes, I am definitely going over all my concerns with my GYN.

I didn't remove the gland because I simply did not trust the doctors who offered it to me. I only had a catheter placed in once, but it just delayed my healing time.
You need someone with a lot of experience and who actually wants to do this the right way and have patience, because this is basically MICRO SURGERY we are talking about.
This gland from hell has ramifications like nobody's business !

I am so sorry to hear you have BOTH glands turned into cysts, I only have one but my god, does it hurt !

Maybe I sounded paranoid in my first post, now that I look at it again. My illness is making me irrational sometimes, because of despair.
Actually, if you do pelvic floor therapy after the surgery, you have a better chance at pain-free intercourse.

Also, please let us girls know how it went for you.

I really hope you get well, no one deserves to suffer with this.

karma
xxx

I'm really sorry you are dealing with so much pain. Did your cyst ever come back after rupturing? It just feels like such a vicious cycle here, because if I don't get the gland removed they say the cyst will just come back over and over. I really don't know what to do, and it is painful!  

yes, once you get a cyst, they always come back. I used to have them once a year.
but this last one might have been infected, and when it ruptured it might have set the gland on fire...nerve pain resulted fromthe ifnection. .... I DON'T EVEN KNOW ANYMORE what I have, I'm not even sure it's vuvldynia.
Bascially, my BARTHOLIN GLAND HURTS. I have non stop PULSATING of my right vulva and when I walk I feel a cyst/lump there which does not exist ! I have zero inflammation on the outside, zero burning, no yeast no itchiness.
MY GLAND HURTS, maybe it's atrophying, god knows what.
I'm currently keeping my pain level under control with Naproxen. I take no other drug. (my pain is a constant 3/10)

I REALLY FEEL for you girls, no one deserves this type of debilitating pain and discomfort.

I never had the surgery because I feared nerve damage and dyspareunia.

However, if you get a doctor which has done this surgery a lot of times, you should be alright.
Careful if you do get the surgery, you will recover in a few month's time, and after that I suggest you try pelvic floor therapy for the scar tissue.
Also, please buy HEALGEL or something similar. And be very patient.

I really wish you all the best if you go ahead with this!

Hi Mary Jane,

Thank you so much for sharing, and I'm so sorry about everything you've been through. I know this might not be good, but if they removed the gland, I'm wondering if it would help your pain? Maybe the gland itself is infected and needs to come out? So sorry, I am not sure if that would help or make it worse. Ughhhh I hate dealing with these stupid cysts! Did you ever have two, or was it always the same side?

I will discuss this option with my doctor, I'm 100% sure it's the gland that's causing me pain, it feels inflamed, and there is a direct correlation between inflammation and nerve pain. And I clearly see in the mirror it's 5% more swollen and red comparing to the other one, but the doctor did not agree with me (crazy).
I am becoming so obsessed with my illness it's all I can think about. I want the gland out

mine was always on the same side.
At 19 years old, I went to a chlorinated swimming pool with really cold water. Next thing I know, 1 week later I have a cyst.
I used to get them once a year. Honestly, I would rather have recurring cysts every year than this aching pulsating pain.

I know surgery is really scary, but it might help to have the gland out. I also read that pelvic rehabilitative therapy helps after you heal, which keeps the scar tissue from getting bad. Might be worth it! I go to PT, and it has really helped my pain. Hoping you feel better!

thank you, I am currently trying to find a doc who is willing to help me with this