Re: Excision Bartholins gland

hi! i feel your pain (literally). while i have "only" had this for 1 year, i've had basically an abscess for that entire time. luckily, i'm gay so my wifey is VERY understanding...

i've been counselled against having the gland excised by several doctors. the actual procedure is risky, with high chance of bleeding and accidentally cut nerves (which means no feeling in some areas of your vagina). in addition, there are reports by women of something known as "phantom pain". it's like if you've ever had a tooth pulled...the hole where there used to be something still hurts. plus, there are problems with arosal and lubrication. i'm trying really hard to be patient, but i am getting to the point where i want the surgery even with all of the risks. there's a chance that the surgery will leave a lot of scarring and scar tissue, which can lead to more pain.

a great resource, too, is to read up on vulvodynia, which is chronic nerve pain that can be caused by surgical trauma.


good luck! let us know what happens.


lauren

ps you may get more feedback if you post on the more current bga support page...i think this is the old page.