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Minor & bedside proceduresFree in the app

Bartholin’s abscess

Word catheter or marsupialisation — similar recurrence.

Source: WoMan trial (BJOG 2017)

Word catheter

  1. Local anaesthetic; 5 mm stab inside the hymenal ring.
  2. Drain and break up loculations.
  3. Insert catheter; inflate with 2–3 ml saline.
  4. Tuck into vagina; leave ~4 weeks to form a tract.

Marsupialisation

  1. GA/spinal; vertical elliptical incision inside hymenal ring.
  2. Drain and wash out.
  3. Evert cyst wall; suture to vestibular skin with interrupted absorbable sutures.
Recurrence at 1 year: Word catheter ~12% vs marsupialisation ~10%.
A summary for trained clinicians. Always check the full guideline, the patient in front of you and your hospital's protocol. Spotted an error? Tell us.