Hi Ladies,
I have diagnoised with bartholin abscess one week ago by my gyno. Last friday I had big pain and go to dr. He shrink the abscess. But today, I had a question in my mind. Can it be fistula? I haven't seen my surgeon. Do I have to? There is a liquid coming out from abscess today. It doesn't have any color but sometimes mixed with blood. Do you think it is bartholin abscess or vaginal fistula? If it is bartholin abscess, does it cause vaginal fistula? I am so afraid. Could you please answer my question?
thank you everybody...

My bartholin cyst has been draining for a little over a week now. In the begining there was some blood. I also have "big pain". I see the OB/GYN tomorrow. I'll ask about the fistula.

Hi Cataja,
I am so sorry that you have pain. I hope it won't last so long. My abscess is getting smaller and for now I have no pain. I have asked to my surgeon that I have seen 3 doctors and all said that you have bartholin abscess, do you want to see it, does it become because of my pouch. He said, if the drs said the same thing you have that illness, so I do not need to see it. When I heard this I feel so happy. When it hurts, I am really very upset about the situation. Do you have antibiotics? I am using cipro 500 for 10 days. I will use it for 5 days also. And also my gno said after your period I will look the abscess, if teher is a cyst, you have to have an operation. But indeed I am still so afraid if it is fistula or not. Is there anything coming from your vagina? I don't know exactly what a fistula is. Is the dirt coming from vagina or from bartholin? Do you know?
I am so sory that you have pain, I hope it will last tomorrow. Please inform me about your situation. I wish you good luck for tomorrow. I hope it will last as soon as possible without any negative complication.
See you...

Hi...

I hope you didn't mean you have stool coming out of your vagina? That might not be good. I think they call that a recto-vaginal fistula. Try doing "find" under "recto-vaginal".

What I thought was a Bartholin cyst popped again last night. Horrible pain. Today I finally got into see the gyno doctor, and she said it was not the Bartholin gland. She didn't know what it was, but it has to come out. I have to have a kidney procedure on January 4th, they are going to try to schedule this surgery at the same time. That would be great, I can't miss any more time from work. I am on antibiotics for my pouchitis. I need to get something better for pain. I am currently on Vicoden, but it is not working that well anymore.

While I was talking to the doctor, I accidentally refered to the cyst as a fistula, she said no, it definately was not a fistula. It sounded like fistulas are more inside.

I hope you are feeling better very soon.

Best of luck with all of this.

Hi,
The stool is not coming out from vagina but there is an abscess and really I am afraid if it cause vaginal fistula. I hope not. Do you know anything about this?
I am so glad that you have operation for both. I hope you will have a successfull operation. Good luck
I am on antibiotics for 2 weeks and I don't know if I am going to continue or not. Last night, the abscess is popped. But because it is small it doesn't give so much pain, just a little bit. 2 wees later I will go to my doctor but it seems that I will go earlier, because sometimes it is getting bigger and popped.
My fear is that, does it cause vaginal fistula? Did your doctor said something about it?
Cataja, I hope you will have a very successfull operation for both illness and evrthing will be soooo fine...

The only thing she said is that it definately was not a fistula. I just typed in "fistula" under the find key, there is a ton of information. Make sure to unclick the box that says search this site only. Good luck.

I know there are lots of posts. But for 2 days gas is coming from my vagina. It is almost 5 times. I am so afraid if it is fistula or not. I will see my surgeon tomorrow. I hope he will say it is not fistula, the gas is only because of the abscess.
Do you know sometihing about it?
Thank u

If you have intestinal gas from the vagina, there is very possibly an opening somewhere in the rectovaginal wall, hence, a fistula. This can result in an abscess that develops in the same area where a bartholin cyst might be found and mimic it. The abscess results from slow drainage of bacterial matter between the recto-vaginal wall. The drainage builds up behind the tissues of the labia and appears to mimic a bartholin cyst. I don't want to alarm you, but it is possible you are experiencing a problem due to a fistula. They can be repaired, but it can take time and patience.

Before my first surgery I had a bartholin lcyst or that is what the Urgent Care called it, it was like the size of a tennis ball and HURT like heck. The night after I went for the antibiotics and she said it would need to be lanced if it did not pop, I put HOT HOT cloths on it. IT popped that night, immediately felt better. Had my colon removed and colostomy, on 2nd surgery for the creation of my Jpouch and ileo the surgeon found a recto vaginal fistula, after reading all this I don't know if the fistula caused the cyst (if it was a cyst) or the cyst caused the fistula? I would assume the first.... But hang in there, who knows they might not be connected at all.

Tanya

I also believe that it's not a bartholin cyst that causes the fistula but a fistula that causes the bartholin cyst. When my cyst was lanced, foul smelling (probably fecal water) came out. My ob/gyn lanced it in her office. If I had it to do over again I would have had my colo-rectal surgeon be the one to take care of lancing it. He would have handled things differently I think, considering my medical history. My vaginal fistula appeared within weeks of the bartholin cyst being lanced and I experienced leakage and gas--gas being what came first.

Caty

thank you so much. I will go to my surgeon today. I am so afraid if I have that problem. But I think I have it. I know it is so difficult to heal. I did not expect this illness 6 years later from my operation. How can I live like that. I am so upset and I am so sorry...

I am so sorry for you, please let us know if you do have a fistula. Truthfully mine healed pretty good but I had my ileostomy at the time, Every week the surgeon would look at it and finally 3 months later he wanted to get a really good look and surgically repair it if necessary. He did that and then 3 months later I got my take down. It has never returned!!!! Crossing my fingers for you that you don't have one! If you do, don't panic, they can help you!
Tanya

I went to my surgeon. When I said I feel gas in my vagina, he said it will probably be a fistula. I was so upset. He looked at it and said he did not understand what a bartholin abscess and he did not see anything that looks like fistula. Then I went to a gyno looked at it she did not see anthing also. I was so happy and of course I am still happy. I asked what is the reason of vaginal gas, her answer is sometimes woman have such kind of ailment but we really don't know what it is. She gave me antibiotics and a local antibiotics. For now, I have no stool coming but sometimes gas. But I won't be sure until this abscess has gone. I hope it will go as soon as possible.
Thank you ladies for all your information and support

I am still having gas from my vagina. I am afraid that they could not see the fistula. Is it possible. I have no brownish liquid but someting like yellow and white. May be it is only coming from abscess. I am taking my antibiotics. Can it be a fistula? Please give some advice. I am so afraid. My doctors just look at the pouch and vagina with naked eye. Can they be wrong?
Any advice???

Hi, OK you're very upset so take a deep breath. Being upset is not going to help anything and its only going to make you miserable!
I had a pouch-vaginal fistula and I did A LOT of research on them and various ways to fix them etc so let me share a little with you.
Vaginal fistulas are difficult to repair, the success rate for long-term closure is less than 50% thats NOT good news. This also means that unless you're symptomatic (ie stool leaking out of your vagina) there's no reason to try any surgical repairs. If you're discharge is yellow and white its NOT stool so rejoice!
Could you still have a fistula? Yes, possibly if you really think gas is coming out then yes. Could your surgeon and GYN miss the fistula? Yes its often difficult to find BUT unless your symptoms are obvious (stool leakage) they're probably not going to try and do anything about it anyways. None of my research suggests that postponement of treatment adversely affects the outcome.
If you start to have BROWN discharge which you suspect is stool go back to your surgeon. He will either do a dye test where they insert a tampon and you have an enema with blue dye and they can see it come out on the tampon or he will do an exam under anesthesia so he can get a really good look.

In the meantime take a deep breath. Gas is weird yes but fistula or no fistula and this point they wouldn't try anything other than medication to close it anyways. Antibiotics are the first line and should help with the abscess.
DON'T stress but just watch.
If things develop I'm here to help you through the next part. For now just enjoy the fact that you're stool is staying where it belongs !

--
katie