Health Organization for Pudendal Education

Hi Everyone. Found your site today and looking for advice. Live in Scottish Highlands so pudendal doctors hard to come by, in fact any doctors hard to come by but after taking some info got online to my gp and after 6 months of bum pain and pain down leg local doctor wants to send me for block and possible surgery to chappie in London. Want to know what success rate is. Have spoke to chappie on phone who wasnt that friendly but will have it done if has desired outcome. He said block might cure but if not surgery would. Sounds good but have read from people not always successful. Am wee confused. Help pls?

Welcome Lenny,
I don't want to be too negative but 100% success rates aren't that great but most people do improve with surgery but you are a way off that yet.
The block is mainly a diagnostic tool to define PN as the diagnosis but depending on if the nerve is entrapped or irritated it could be curative.
Well done for getting this far btw. Who is the guy in London? Baranowski?

Let us know how you are getting on btw.
Take care
Helen

Welcome Lenny. You may want to try seeing a physiotherapist who treats pudendal neuralgia before going the surgery route -- if you can find someone in Scotland. Did the doc mention anything about that?

Violet

Lenny, I'm wondering if you need to travel all the way from the Highlands to London, bit of a trek when you have difficulty sitting and maybe also standing if you have sciatic nerve problems too . Wouldn't Manchester be a good halfway point for you? Helen posted this piece of info on a different thread:

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.

Nerve blocks for pudendal pain are mostly used for diagnostic purposes, but you could be lucky and find it has a more longlasting outcome for you. I had two such blocks done in London, under Dr.Baranowski (who - putting my hand on my heart - doesn't come under the headng of a "friendly chappie" ). I had some relief at the time but it was shortlived. I don't want to put you off having a block by saying that, as it at least should result in a proper diagnosis and you can go forward from there. Good luck to you Lenny, let us know what you decide and what the outcome is.
Take care,