Manchester, UK

[helenlegs 11]

Hi Brits,
I read a post on a different site with some information of treatment for PN in Manchester. The poster is very happy to share this info here.
Pudendal nerve blocks (PNB) are now available at the pain clinic at Whythenshawe hospital in Manchester. Anyone wanting a referral would need to ask their GP to refer them to DR. W. DeMello who has spent some time in 2006 with the team in Nantes as he has a great interest in this area. He has been working since then to provide PNBs. The hospital has recently employed a consultant from a team in Brest, France who is experienced in PNBs. He and Dr. DeMello are now working together.
I Had the first PNB there during August this year. I knew they had hit the right spot as the area went numb immediately. My pain level has dropped from around 5 to between 1-3 since the injection.
AND
My consultant in Manchester was very supportive so I would ask for a referral to him. He knows the team in Nantes as he spent some time working time a few years ago. He is called Dr. W. DrMello and works at Baguley pain clinic at Wythenshawe hospital in Manchester. The hospital have recently employed a French consultant who has been doing the Pudendal nerve blocks at a hospital in Brest, France. The injections are now available in Manchester.
Hope that is helpful
Christine

This may help people who find it difficult traveling to London or Bristol.

[Kath]

That is great to hear of PN doctors in the North of England. Helen, do you know if they offer surgery at all? There certainly seems to be more doctors than we are aware of. How can be get a list of them all?

[helenlegs 11]

At the moment it looks like there are 3 Dr's we currently know something about in pain management who can give (guided) injections Kath.
They are Dr Greenslade, Dr Baranowski and Dr. DeMellow. I have another name, Dr. Natasha Curran, who works with Dr B in London.
Dr G recommended her as a PN expert so I have written to her wondering if she would be interested in being listed on HOPE.
Then for surgery so far there is Professor Carlstedt and Mr C Wong. Mr Wong has kindly replied stating his interest in his details being added to our Doctor list here, as has Dr G (stars!)
Of course Calluna has had her laparoscopic surgery with Mr Dixon as he deals with mesh problems. I will ask Calluna, when she feels a bit better, about him and a possible listing too.
I think at the moment Dr G refers patients to whoever is suitable to their particular problem (or not, in my case )
And that's it as far as I know.
I don't know who Dr DeMellow refers surgical patients to, France?? I will endeavour to find out.
If anyone else would like to add to the UK list please leave a post with Dr and Physio details.
Appreciated

[Kath]

Helen,

Well done you. I wondered why Mr Wong's details weren't on the doctor's list. Yes they are stars. Can't wait to hear from Calluna, I wonder if she is home yet.

Does Dr Jenner (?) do PN blocks too? But again, this is London.

[calluna]

I am back home, came home on Friday afternoon. Still very knocked out, but no nerve pain yet. (No BM's either, though...)

I will speak to Mr Dixon when I see him for the post op review - I haven't got the appointment yet - but the first person to contact here remains Dr Greenslade. He is the one with the particular interest in PN, and you are quite right Helen, it seems that he refers people to whomever he feels most appropriate. I was told that he works with Mr Dixon a lot, and that they both have very high standards in their work.

I can certainly vouch for the amazement of the various doctors who came to see me and examine me after the surgery, regarding the fact that Mr Dixon had removed the previous, very extensive mesh - well, that was supposed to be impossible.

[helenlegs 11]

I didn't really want to think about the how for you Calluna (~~squirm~~), I'm just so glad that his competence is at the level you encountered.
Do you think that Dr G was the one who started the interest in PN and pelvic nerves? I would love to know the story behind the interest.
It's absolutely brilliant that we have this standard of help here. Glad you were not impossible Calluna
Now, be well

[birdlife]

Dr Natasha Curran is the lady who clinically examined me and diagnosed my PN/PNE 2 yrs ago at the National Hospital in London, and put me forward for nerve blocks under Dr. Baranowski. Very competent lady (obviously! and approachable, I'm not surprised her name has been put forward.
Bristol, Manchester and London - its a very welcome start but still not enough coverage. And who is doing any PNE surgery? I don't really understand why, when they have trained under the Nantes team, that the PN doctors here are so reluctant to go the whole hog. I should think our compatriate pn sufferers in Ireland would also be pretty pleased not to have to hop across the Irish Sea then the Bristol Channel!

[calluna]

I didn't really want to think about the how for you Calluna (~~squirm~~), I'm just so glad that his competence is at the level you encountered.
Do you think that Dr G was the one who started the interest in PN and pelvic nerves? I would love to know the story behind the interest.
It's absolutely brilliant that we have this standard of help here. Glad you were not impossible Calluna
Now, be well

I think that it is Dr G who started the interest in PN - I remember saying to him right at the beginning that I had heard he had a particular interest in PN, and he nodded in agreement. I gather that Mr Dixon likes fixing things where other surgeons have, let us say, been less than successful. He was very familiar with Dr Farnsworth's work - that's the surgeon who did the original mesh work - and had attended several of his lectures.

With regard to the 'how' - laparascopically is the answer. And also 'very carefully'! I too am glad that I was not impossible after all. And yes, I will be well.

[helenlegs 11]

Dr Natasha Curran is the lady who clinically examined me and diagnosed my PN/PNE 2 yrs ago at the National Hospital in London, and put me forward for nerve blocks under Dr. Baranowski. Very competent lady (obviously! and approachable, I'm not surprised her name has been put forward.
Bristol, Manchester and London - its a very welcome start but still not enough coverage. And who is doing any PNE surgery? I don't really understand why, when they have trained under the Nantes team, that the PN doctors here are so reluctant to go the whole hog. I should think our compatriate pn sufferers in Ireland would also be pretty pleased not to have to hop across the Irish Sea then the Bristol Channel!

That's interesting about Dr Curran, I had not heard of her before, as you say it is excellent to have another doctor who recognises the problem(s)
I think for the op, officially there is Dr Wong in Bristol (who has travelled to Nantes and studied under Prof Robert) and Prof Carlstedt who has done PN and PS surgery in London. However, Dr Greenslade also chooses whichever surgeon he thinks will be the best person for the job depending on the persons circumstances, as he has done so well for Calluna.
I don't know if anyone could address a dorsal nerve or distal to Alcocks, decompression here yet if that was suspected, as that's still a learning curve for all.
I haven't heard back from the 'Manchester team' to see what they do about surgery but I didn't expect to yet.

[birdlife]

Hi Helen,

When I first attended the pain clinic at the National Hospital for an appointment with Dr. Curran I assumed she was Dr. B's Registrar but she is, I think, a consultant in her own right in anaesthesia. Anyhow, she made my clinical diagnosis by pressing on the pudendal nerve vaginally and she it was who scheduled my nerve blocks with Dr.B. Also, she was the only one at the National who ever wrote to my GP (he is still waiting several years on for any kind of correspondence from Dr. B, and all this time has had to rely on my perception of my treatment there ).
I've previously heard very good reviews of Dr. Greenslade. I didn't know of Dr. Wong - great, the list is growing!
Take care