Everything You Need To Know About Vaginal Cysts

What are Vaginal Cysts?

Vaginal cysts are tiny, lump-like closed sacs that may develop on or under the walls of a woman’s vaginal lining. They are typically formed of air or vaginal fluid. Usually, they remain tiny and asymptomatic but, when infected or enlarged, they can turn extremely painful and grow almost to the size of an orange. These enlarged vaginal cysts then cause acute pain during sex or insertion of tampon, and even in simple activities like- peeing/ walking or even sitting. At this stage, medical intervention becomes an absolute necessity.

How do Vaginal Cyst form?

Though vaginal cysts are usually a result of a severe injury, trauma or blockage of vaginal ducts or glands, different types of vaginal cysts form differently. For example,

• Inclusion Cyst:  Inclusion cyst is a small degraded lipid and keratin-filled sac that may develop in the lower back of a woman’s vaginal wall. It usually gets formed because of a result of severe injury or trauma to the vaginal lining. For example, a rip or tear during delivery/ surgery that damaged the surrounding lining/ at times because of episiotomy (a small surgical cut made between a woman’s vagina and her anus, to widen the vaginal opening for delivery)
• Bartholin Cyst: Bartholin cyst is a tiny fluid-filled cyst that may develop on one or either side of the Bartholin gland. It develops when the Bartholin gland gets clogged because of an injury to its vaginal lining. Now, since the gland is responsible for the secretion of lube when the accident happens, it clogs the gland. This means, the fluid never flows out and rather keeps swelling the cyst, sometimes enlarging it even to the size of an orange and raising the pain to unbearable levels.
• Mullerian Cyst: A Mullerian cyst is a small mucous filled cyst that may develop anywhere on the vaginal wall. It usually forms because of the material left as a baby develops.
• Gartner’s Duct:  When the child is still in its fetal stage and developing inside the womb, it has two ducts called- ‘Gartner’s duct’.  These usually disappear after the baby is born. But, in they case they do not, they may develop mucous inside them and swell into a vaginal cyst in later years.
• Skene’s Cyst: Skene’s cyst develops when the lesser vestibular or paraurethral glands (glands responsible for ) get infected and swell.

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Vaginal Cysts - Causes and Symptoms

Vaginal Cysts Causes

• Injury
• Infection
• Clogging of glands/ ducts
• Congenital (present from birth)

Vaginal Cysts Symptoms

• A protruding lump from the vaginal skin
• Vaginal discomfort and pressure
• Vaginal dryness and itching
• Foul, lactic smell
• Pain during penetration
• Vaginal bleeding
• Pain and burning sensation during urination

Diagnosis - Vaginal Cyst

Tests before Vaginal Cyst Treatment

Some of the tests your doctor may prescribe you are:

• Imaging Tests: Your doctor may recommend 1/2 vaginal imaging tests such as CT Scan, Ultrasound, or MRI. These tests use high-frequency sound waves to paint an image of your internal organs digitally and would thus help your gyne get a clearer image and location of your cyst along with its size, composition and nature.
• Vaginal Secretion Tests: These are recommended to check for any STI/STD in the patient to understand the infection/ severity of the vaginal cyst.
• Cystoscopy: A cystoscopy may be suggested to understand the root cause of an infected/ recurring cyst. Here, the doctor inserts a tiny tube through your urethra with a camera and light on its end to get a clearer and precise understanding of your bladder and associated infections (if any).
• Biopsy: In some cases, a biopsy may be suggested if your doctor suspects vaginal cancer. Here, your gyne would numb your vaginal area through local anaesthesia and then take a small tissue sample from the site to send further to a lab for analysis.

Diagnosis by Doctor

Severity - Vaginal Cyst

Type-1 | Size

Type-2 | Infection

Risks & Complications associated with Vaginal Cyst

During the Surgery

• Infection: Sometimes, as a rare case scenario, the cyst may turn into an infection or develop one later post-operation. This could cause dryness, itching, a constant urge to pee and a slight burning sensation. However, they are easily treatable through some antibiotics.
• Bleeding: Sometimes, as a doctor performs the surgery, surrounding tissues may get damaged or the site itself may have some complications and result in excessive bleeding. This may be because of a reaction to certain medicines (like blood thinners) or surgical negligence.
• Reoccurrence: Women who have had a vaginal cyst before having high chances of redeveloping it again. They also have recurring abscesses and chances of pus. The only 2 ways out of this are- a) practice safe sexual practices and maintain excellent vaginal hygiene b) regular checkups.
• Unresolved pain: Sometimes, despite the surgery, the pain might not be resolved. In such cases, a deeper examination is conducted to understand the root cause of the pain. Hence, cystoscopy might be recommended.
• Scarring: Though both- vaginal drainage and marsupialization are performed with extreme precision, at times, it may leave a very visible scar because of the severity of the case or surgical negligence.
  Damage to the surrounding tissues: In the worst of the cases/ extreme severity/ infection, the surrounding tissues might get damaged/ incur cuts.

If Left Untreated

• Rapid growth and stretching: Vaginal cysts when left untreated, can continue to grow, swell and enlarge to the size of an orange. Also, especially in Bartholin cysts, they can quickly grow exponentially and cause unbearable pain not only during penetration but in the simplest of all activities, like sitting/ sleeping. This is when they become an absolute nightmare.
• Infection: Vaginal cysts always run a very strong chance of infection. They can either be infected by the normal growth of bacteria around vaginal insides, gut or because of an STI (sexually transmitted infection). When infected, they can turn into abscesses and swell with pus, bringing unbearable pain and constant discomfort.
• Increased chances of UTI: Large vaginal cysts especially around the urethra can bring abnormal pressure to the urethral lining. This could make peeing difficult and cause a tingly, burning sensation while increasing the chances of urinary infection.

Vaginal Cysts - Treatment options

Non-Surgical

Non-surgical options largely include 2 options:

1. Sitz Bath: Sitz bath is always a great option to both- manage the pain and drain open the cyst. This involves soaking your vaginal area in a few inches of warm water. You might have to do this a minimum of 3-4 times a day for 5 consecutive days.
2. Medicines: Your doctor would prescribe a few antibiotics and painkillers to help prevent the infection, shrink the cyst and manage pain. These usually help in the tiny- moderate-sized cysts. However, the drawback is, it cannot help in the recurrence.

Surgical Treatment

1. Surgical drainage: Here, as the name suggests, your doctor surgically drains your vaginal cyst. First, she would numb the site using local anesthesia and then make a small incision to drain its fluid. In case the cyst is larger, she may also put a small rubber tube to support the fuller drainage over the next few weeks.
2.  Marsupialization: Marsupialization is great for recurring or extremely painful cysts. This, too, happens under anesthesia. Here, the doctor stitches both ends of the drainage incision and creates permanent drainage. This particularly helps prevent chances of future vaginal cysts. After the process, your doctor would place a small rubber tube to ensure complete drainage. (You might have to keep this for a few weeks until fluid’s complete expulsion)
3. Cyst Removal Surgery: In cases where the cyst is extremely large or located in the inner walls of the vaginal lining, surgery must be performed. Here, the doctor removes the entire cyst surgically and ensures a complete, onetime solution. This is ideally suggested to women with recurring cysts or women who are post-menopause. (As these cysts may turn cancerous in women post their reproductive age)
4. Gland removal: Sometimes, when the cyst is ever recurring, painful or your gyne suspects cancer, the entire gland might be recommended to be removed. However, this is rare and depends entirely on the specificity and severity of the case.

Types of Vaginal Cysts Surgery

1. Laparoscopic cyst removal:   This is the most advanced way of removing vaginal cysts. Here, the surgery is performed through a specialised medical instrument called- laparoscope.  A laparoscope is a tiny hollow tube with a camera and light on its end. Your doctor inserts it in your pelvis through a very small keyhole sized incision to get an exact location, size and idea of the cyst itself and its surrounding tissues. Then, with this image support, the doctor precisely removes the entire vaginal cyst through accurate precision and minimum incisions. It is currently the most advanced in the medical sector. In India, it may cost you anywhere around Rs. 20,000- 30,000, depending on your city, your choice of doctor, her years of experience, your preferred hospital, room, and other medical and non-medical expenses.
2.  Open cut cyst removal: Open cut vaginal cyst removal is a comparatively traditional method. It involves a larger incision, leaving a larger scar and increasing the recovery time. However, this, too, is performed under general anaesthesia. In India, it would cost anywhere between 30,000 to 35,000, and may vary depending on your city, choice of doctor, hospital, room and other medical and non-medical charges.

Before and After Vaginal Cysts Surgery

1. Before surgery: Before your vaginal cyst removal surgery, you would have an enlarged, extremely painful and possibly pus-filled cyst growth on your vaginal lining. This would obviously make your sexual experience and even the simplest of activities painful. Even if it drains out because of antibiotic medicines or a Sitz bath, you would experience a  frequent recurrence and pain. Sometimes, because of all these discomforts, you might also experience fever nausea and extreme fatigue.
2. After the surgery: While the surgery itself would give you a very obvious relief, the most important benefit of vaginal cyst removal surgery is the decreased risk of cyst’s recurrence. You would be free from frequent bounties of pain and discomfort and will be able to live life more stress-free.

Insurance coverage - Vaginal Cysts Treatment

Yes, vaginal cyst removal surgery cost is covered by most insurance providers in India.  However, since every policy is different, the disease cap may vary. That is, the amount insured may vary from case to case. In case you are confused about the nature of your insurance policy and want to be sure if your insurance cover your cyst removal surgery or not, we suggest you call us directly. We have a specialized team of experts to assist you through the step by step of the process and offer you a 100% insurance cover.

Recovery Rate - Vaginal Cysts

Your healing time and recovery rate primarily depend on the surgery and the technique you opt for. 

• Since open-cut surgeries mark a larger cut, the healing is slower and longer.  It may take roughly 10-15 days for complete recovery.
• Whereas laparoscopic cyst removal surgery marks a faster recovery time because of its minimal and precise keyhole incisions. Here, you may resume work right after 4-5 days of rest.

Some post-care tips for quickly recovering after your vaginal cyst removal surgery ectomy are:

1. Do not bend over or move a lot for the next 5-7 days. Do not overexert your body and let it heal and recover.
2. Consciously and carefully complete the full course of your post prescriptive medicines. They would help reduce infections and quicken your recovery
3. Drink a lot of water! All the surgery time, exhaustion and previous pain could make you dehydrated. Thus, drinking lots of water, juices and fluid rich foods could help you relax better and recover smoother
4. Anaesthetic surgeries have temporary constipation like effects on our bodies. Therefore, we suggest you eat fibre rich food. My be include fruits like apple and pears or foods like whole grains, pulses and dry fruits. They would help ease the bowel passage and keep your genitals free of strain.

Why Choose Pristyn Care for Vaginal Cyst Treatment?

If you are looking for a permanent solution to your recurring vaginal cyst, we suggest you undertake the corresponding surgery. It would highly reduce the frequency of your vaginal cysts and offer you long-term relief and benefits. In this case, Pristyn Care can be a great choice!

We have:

Some of the best and most reputed OBGYN surgeons in India. All our surgeons are specialised in not only general gynecology but also obstetrics. This way, they are exceptionally skilled at both- minimizing the surgery risk and managing the worst-case scenarios. We are located in 30+ cities and swiftly expanding even more. Also, we work with only the best of the best gyne clinics and hospitals to ensure you the highest of medical standards.

• Complete privacy and confidentiality: We understand the hesitation and discomfort around genitals. This is why we seal your experience with a 100% privacy and confidentiality seal. No part of your information ever goes out at all.
• 30-Mins Insurance Approval: We understand the trickiness of insurance covers and the hassle of running after agents and companies. This is why we provide you with 30-minute insurance approval to ease all your worries and make your surgery experience better.
• Financially easier: We offer you multiple payment options, including the No cost EMI option. Also, we run 30% off on diagnostic tests to make the surgery finances easier.
• Free Transportation: We understand how transportation can be difficult on the day of surgery. This is why we offer you free pick up and drop across the city to ensure a smooth, hassle-free experience.
• Free follow-up: A health care experience doesn’t end at surgery. And we understand that. This is why we offer you free follow-up post-surgery to ensure your recovery and cancel any risk of complications

Because of our comprehensive approach to the entire health care, we are one of the topmost surgery choices for people across various states in India. In case you, too, are looking for an experienced gynecologist, a second opinion, or a hospital to schedule your vaginal cyst removal surgery, don’t panic at all and call us directly. Our experts could help you through the step by step process.