Bartholin cyst drainage catheter: what to expect

A clinician makes a small opening in the swelling, releases the collected fluid, and places a narrow tube with a tiny retaining balloon. The balloon helps hold the tube in position. The catheter is left in place long enough for the edges around it to heal into an open passage, helping the gland drain after the tube is removed. Local anaesthetic is commonly used for placement.

Follow the clinic's instructions for washing, bathing, activity, pain relief, and sexual contact because advice may depend on the procedure and your symptoms. Clean gently with water, pat dry, and choose loose clothing that does not pull on the tube. A pad can absorb light drainage. Do not tug, reposition, inflate, deflate, or remove the catheter yourself. Attend the planned check even if the swelling feels better.

Contact the treating clinic if the catheter falls out, seems displaced, stops draining while swelling returns, or causes worsening pain. Prompt medical care is also appropriate for heavy bleeding, foul-smelling discharge, increasing redness, fever, chills, or feeling unwell. Do not attempt to reinsert a catheter that has come out; a clinician can decide whether replacement is useful.

Before leaving, confirm how long your catheter is intended to stay, how much drainage is expected, which pain medicine is suitable for you, and whom to call if it moves. You can also ask when work, exercise, swimming, and sex can resume, and what alternatives are available if the cyst returns.