Intimate Health · Treatment
Bartholin Cyst Removal in Seoul: Drainage and Marsupialization
Bartholin cyst removal treats a blocked, swollen Bartholin gland at the vaginal opening by draining it and creating a new permanent opening (marsupialization or a Word catheter), or by removing the gland if cysts keep returning. At Somssi Women's Clinic in Gangnam, Seoul, Dr. Yoon Ho-joo performs these procedures under local or light sedation anesthesia with same-day discharge, and sends tissue for pathology when a cyst appears after age 40.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Yoon Ho-joo, MD, PhD, OB/GYN specialist, Somssi Women's Clinic · Last updated October 2026
At a glance
Key facts
The essentials, based on how Somssi Women's Clinic performs this procedure or answers this question. Your plan is confirmed at consultation.
- What it is: a fluid-filled swelling of a Bartholin gland duct at the 4 or 8 o'clock position of the vaginal opening
- Procedure time: about 10–30 minutes depending on the method
- Anesthesia: local; sleep (sedation) plus local for marsupialization or excision if preferred
- Hospital stay: none; same-day discharge
- Back to work: usually within 1–3 days
- Intercourse: once healed and comfortable, typically about 4 weeks
- Who it suits: painful cysts, abscesses, recurrent cysts, any new cyst over age 40
Bartholin cyst removal at a glance
Drains a blocked Bartholin gland and creates a permanent opening, or removes the gland if cysts keep returning.
- Bartholin cyst removal
- Bartholin abscess Korea
- marsupialization
- Word catheter
- vulvar cyst treatment
- Bartholin gland Seoul
- 10–30 minProcedure time
- Local, sedation optionAnesthesia
- Same dayDischarge
- 1–3 daysBack to work
- DiagnoseSwelling at 4 or 8 o'clock of the opening.
- DrainWord catheter or incision.
- MarsupializeA permanent opening to stop recurrence.
- Excise if recurrentGland removal for repeated cysts.
Illustration: Somssi Women's Clinic, Seoul. Schematic, not to scale; your plan is set by Dr. Yoon Ho-joo after examination.
What is a Bartholin cyst?
The two Bartholin glands sit just inside the vaginal opening, at roughly the 4 and 8 o'clock positions, and release a small amount of lubricating fluid during arousal. If a gland's duct becomes blocked, fluid builds up behind it and a smooth, painless lump forms on one side of the labia. This is a Bartholin cyst.
If bacteria enter the trapped fluid, the cyst becomes a Bartholin abscess: hot, red, tense and very painful, often within a day or two, sometimes with fever. About 2% of women develop a Bartholin cyst or abscess at some point, most often in their twenties and thirties.
Somssi Women's Clinic is a surgical gynecology clinic in Gangnam, Seoul, founded in 2000 and led by Dr. Yoon Ho-joo, MD, PhD. Although best known for reconstructive vulvovaginal surgery, the clinic treats common vulvar conditions such as Bartholin cysts, genital warts and skin tags for English-speaking women living in or visiting Korea.
Who is a good candidate for treatment?
Small, painless cysts do not always need treatment. Warm sitz baths several times a day for a few days can help a small cyst drain on its own. Treatment at the clinic is advised if you have:
- A painful, enlarging cyst, or one that makes sitting, walking or intercourse uncomfortable
- An abscess (sudden severe pain, redness, heat, sometimes fever)
- A cyst that has come back after previous drainage
- A cyst that has not resolved after several weeks of conservative care
- Any new Bartholin swelling after age 40, which should be examined and usually biopsied to rule out the rare Bartholin gland carcinoma
- A lump you are not sure about, since cysts can be confused with abscesses of other glands, hernias, lipomas or vulvar varicosities
How Somssi treats Bartholin cysts and abscesses
The aim is not just to empty the cyst but to stop it refilling. Simple needle aspiration or a small incision alone leads to recurrence in a large share of cases, so Dr. Yoon chooses a method that keeps the duct open or removes the gland.
Incision and drainage with a Word catheter
Under local anesthesia a small incision is made inside the labium, the fluid or pus is drained, and a small balloon-tipped catheter is placed in the cavity and inflated. The catheter stays in for about four weeks while a new duct opening forms around it. You can work and walk normally with it in place. It is the usual first choice for a first abscess.
Marsupialization
The cyst wall is opened and its edges are stitched to the surrounding skin with absorbable sutures, creating a permanent new opening. This takes about 15–30 minutes under local or sedation anesthesia and is preferred for recurrent cysts or when a catheter is not suitable. Recurrence after marsupialization is lower than after simple drainage.
Bartholin gland excision
Removing the whole gland is reserved for cysts that return despite marsupialization, or when pathology is needed. It is a more involved operation with greater bleeding risk, performed under sedation plus long-acting local anesthetic, and still allows same-day discharge.
Antibiotics
Antibiotics are added when there is surrounding cellulitis, fever, a positive culture for gonorrhea or chlamydia, or in women with diabetes or weakened immunity. Pus is routinely sent for culture, and a sexually transmitted infection screen is offered because Bartholin abscesses are occasionally linked to these infections.
| Method | Best for | Anesthesia | Approximate recurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sitz baths only | Small, painless cyst | None | Variable; many resolve |
| Word catheter | First abscess or symptomatic cyst | Local | Low to moderate |
| Marsupialization | Recurrent cyst, failed catheter | Local or sedation | Low (roughly 5–15%) |
| Gland excision | Repeated recurrence, suspicious lesion | Sedation plus local | Very low |
Preparing for your visit
No special preparation is needed for drainage, and you can eat normally. If sedation is planned for marsupialization or excision, fast for two hours before your appointment, wear loose clothing, and bring someone to accompany you home. Let us know about blood thinners, allergies, diabetes or pregnancy, and bring any earlier reports or culture results if the cyst has been treated before.
Anesthesia, duration and hospital stay
Drainage with a Word catheter takes about 10–15 minutes under local anesthesia. Marsupialization and excision take 15–30 minutes and can be done under local anesthesia or the clinic's usual sleep anesthesia combined with long-acting local anesthetic, so you wake comfortable. In every case you go home the same day once you have walked and passed urine.
Recovery timeline
| When | What you can do |
|---|---|
| Day of procedure | Rest; shower normally; pain relief as prescribed; expect light discharge or spotting |
| Days 1–3 | Return to desk work; warm sitz baths two or three times a day help healing and comfort |
| Week 1–2 | Soreness settles; avoid tampons, swimming, cycling and tight clothing |
| Week 4 | Word catheter removed if used; marsupialization edges are usually healed |
| About 4 weeks | Intercourse once the area is fully healed and comfortable |
Absorbable sutures do not need removal. A follow-up visit, or a photo and message consultation if you have left Korea, confirms healing.
Results and what to expect
Pain from an abscess is relieved almost immediately once it is drained. After a Word catheter or marsupialization, most women have no further trouble, although a minority develop another cyst on the same or the opposite side over the following years. The gland continues to function after marsupialization, so lubrication is preserved.
After excision the cyst cannot return in that gland, but some women notice slightly less lubrication on that side; the opposite gland and the vaginal walls still produce most natural moisture.
Risks and how we reduce them
- Recurrence, highest after simple drainage, lowest after excision
- Bleeding, more likely with excision because the gland sits near a rich venous plexus; careful dissection and two-layer closure limit it
- Infection or incomplete drainage, addressed with culture-guided antibiotics
- Catheter falling out early, which may require replacement
- Scarring, pain with intercourse or asymmetry, uncommon and usually mild
- Anesthesia reactions, rare
If you are also considering cosmetic correction of the labia, for example after repeated infections have changed their shape, see our labia minora reduction and labia majora reduction pages; such procedures are planned only after the infection has fully resolved.
Why international patients choose Somssi
A Bartholin abscess rarely waits for a convenient moment, and visitors to Seoul often need help the same day. The clinic is 100 m from Gangnam Station Exit 1, offers consultation in English, and has been a Ministry of Health and Welfare registered institution for foreign patients since 2011 and a Seoul Medical Tourism cooperation clinic since 2016.
Procedures are done in the clinic under local or sedation anesthesia with same-day discharge, and healing can be reviewed remotely if you fly home before your follow-up. Read more on our international patients page, learn about Dr. Yoon Ho-joo, or contact the clinic for a prompt appointment.
Private consultation
Talk it through with Dr. Yoon's team
English-speaking coordinators, a written treatment plan and a clear quote after your consultation. Same-day discharge for most procedures.
Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat 09:30–18:00 (KST). Closed Thu, Sun and holidays. 7F Sangkyung Building, 120 Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.
Dr. Yoon Ho-joo, MD, PhD
OB/GYN specialist, Catholic University of Korea. Founder of Somssi Women's Clinic (2000). Published on female sexual function after reconstructive vaginal surgery; speaker at ESSM, ISSWSH, WAS and SMSNA.
Questions patients ask
Frequently asked questions
Short, honest answers. For anything personal, a consultation is the right place to ask.
Can a Bartholin cyst go away on its own?
Small, painless cysts often do. Warm sitz baths for 10–15 minutes several times a day over three or four days encourage the blocked duct to open and drain. If the lump grows, becomes painful or shows signs of infection such as redness and heat, it is unlikely to settle without drainage, and you should be seen promptly.
Is Bartholin cyst drainage painful?
The abscess itself is usually far more painful than the procedure. The skin is numbed with local anesthetic before the incision, and once the pressure is released most women feel immediate relief. For marsupialization or excision you can choose light sleep anesthesia so you have no memory of the procedure, with long-acting local anesthetic for comfort afterward.
Why not just pop or aspirate the cyst?
Squeezing a cyst can push bacteria deeper and cause an abscess. Needle aspiration or a simple cut empties the cyst but leaves the blocked duct unchanged, so it refills in a large proportion of cases. A Word catheter or marsupialization creates a lasting new opening, which is why these are the standard treatments.
Do I need antibiotics for a Bartholin abscess?
Not always. Drainage is the main treatment, and antibiotics alone rarely cure an abscess. They are added when there is spreading redness, fever, a positive culture for a sexually transmitted infection, pregnancy, diabetes or a weakened immune system. We send the pus for culture so any antibiotic is targeted.
Is a Bartholin cyst a sign of an STI?
Usually not. Most cysts form because a duct is blocked by thickened mucus or minor trauma, and cultures typically grow ordinary skin or bowel bacteria. A minority of abscesses are linked to gonorrhea or chlamydia, so we offer a discreet STI screen at the same visit, particularly if you have a new partner or other symptoms.
Why is a biopsy recommended after 40?
Bartholin gland cancer is rare, but it becomes more likely with age and can look like an ordinary cyst at first. For this reason guidelines advise that a new Bartholin mass in a woman over 40, or any firm, irregular or non-resolving lump, be biopsied or excised and sent for pathology. In younger women this is rarely necessary.
Keep reading
Related treatments and guides
- STI & STD Screening — abscesses are occasionally linked to gonorrhea or chlamydia, so a screen is offered at the same visit
- Genital Wart Removal — another vulvar condition treated in a single same-day visit
- Anal Skin Tag Removal — a benign perianal lump that is sometimes confused with a cyst
- Labia Minora Reduction — correcting labial shape changes once infection has settled
- Labia Majora Reduction — surgery for sagging or asymmetric outer labia
- International Patients — same-day care and remote follow-up for visitors to Seoul
Sources and medical review
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), guidance on diagnosis and management of benign vulvar disorders
- Te Linde's Operative Gynecology — chapter on surgery of the vulva, including Bartholin gland cyst and abscess management
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Sexually Transmitted Infections Treatment Guidelines
Next step
A consultation first. A decision only when you are ready.
Tell us what you are experiencing and what you hope to change. Dr. Yoon examines, measures and explains the options, including when no surgery is the right answer. International patients can start with an online consultation before travelling to Seoul.
