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The Bartholin's glands are located on each side of the vaginal opening. These glands secrete fluid that helps lubricate the vagina. Sometimes the openings of these glands become obstructed, causing fluid to back up into the gland. The result is relatively painless swelling called a Bartholin's cyst. If the fluid within the cyst becomes infected, you may develop a collection of pus surrounded by inflamed tissue (abscess). A Bartholin's cyst or abscess is common. Treatment of a Bartholin's cyst depends on the size of the cyst, how painful the cyst is and whether the cyst is infected. Sometimes home treatment is all you need. In other cases, surgical drainage of the Bartholin's cyst is necessary. If an infection occurs, antibiotics may be helpful to treat the infected Bartholin's cyst.

If you have an anal fissure that hasn’t healed with self-help measures and medical treatments, we may suggest you a procedure to treat it. An anal fissure is a small tear or ulcer (open sore) in your skin around the opening of your anus. There are several different types of procedures available, including injections with botulinum toxin, removal of the fissure (excision or fissurectomy) and sphincterotomy. We may suggest you have a procedure called a fissurectomy alongside Botox injections. This involves cutting away the damaged skin from around your anal fissure, along with any ‘sentinel’ skin tags (lumps of skin associated with the fissure).