Gynaecology and Obstetrics

Gynecologic oncology is a specialized field of medicine that focuses on cancers of the female reproductive system, including ovarian, vulva and cervical cancer. Your care pathway is carefully planned with your involvement, which is likely to involve:

Multi-disciplinary meetings

If you have been referred to us, we will discuss your care in order to establish the best course of treatment for you. Our team consists of radiologists, histopathologists, oncologists, McMillan nurses and your gynae-oncology consultant.

Surgery

If a decision has been made for you to have an operation, you will have a pre-operation assessment and be admitted to the gynaecology ward.

Initial follow-up

If you have had an operation for cancer, we will offer you a choice of either a telephone consultation or face to face appointment to see your consultant to discuss the results of your histology.

Cancer follow-up clinics

You will be given an appointment in our cancer follow-up clinic approximately 6 week after you have had surgery.

We provide specialist care and treatment for women with endometriosis (a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows in other places, such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes) and pelvic pain.

Your care pathway is carefully planned with your involvement. It is likely to involve:

Outpatient clinic

If you have been referred our specialist clinic you will be seen by the consultant or one of their team. Your symptoms and treatment options will be discussed with you. We offer a number of treatments for endometriosis including medical management and a wide range of keyhole (laparoscopic) operations.

Multi-disciplinary meetings

If you have a more complexed case you may be discussed at our monthly endometriosis multi-disciplinary meetings where a number of different specialists provide input to your care. This may include bladder surgeons, bowel surgeons and radiologists.

Minimal access surgery

If the decision has been made with you to have an operation, you will have a pre-op assessment and be admitted to either Level 11 the Gynaecology Ward (see inpatient services) or Level 5 Day Surgery Unit. Keyhole surgery is the preferred method and usually done as a day case for minor procedures. In more complex cases you will need to be admitted to the ward.

Voluntary support group

Our support group for sufferers of endometriosis is run at the Royal Sussex County Hospital by volunteers Hilary Denyer and Carol Pearson from Endometriosis UK. Meetings take place at Sussex House, 1 Abbey Road in Brighton. Abbey Road runs down the side of the Outpatient Department and Sussex House is a large building on the bottom right hand corner with St George’s Road.

Whether you are newly diagnosed or have been suffering from endometriosis for some time, or are a partner, friend of family member of a sufferer, you are welcome to attend to receive support and information. Meetings are a mixture of speaker meetings or general support where we chat over tea and coffee. If you are interested in receiving further details about the meetings, please contact Hilary and Carol on sussexcoastendo@gmail.com or by text on 07972 126134.

Assessment and treatment for women with pelvic floor disorders and lower urinary tract problems. For further information, visit the urogynaecology webpage.

If you require an urgent appointment your GP will refer you to us, and you will be triaged appropriately depending on the service you need.

Our fast track clinic is for suspected cancer patients. Women are seen within the two week wait pathway with symptoms such as post-menopausal bleeding or abdominal masses.

Women with non-urgent referrals are seen for general gynaecology problems such as heavy or painful periods, fibroids and pelvic pain.

A hysteroscopy is a procedure during which the inside of the uterus (womb) is examined using a thin narrow type tube called a hysteroscope. It can help to give a clear diagnosis of problems you are experiencing and help to decide the right treatment for you.

Colposcopy is a special method of looking at the cervix (the neck of the womb) with a microscope. We run colposcopy clinics on both sites as part of the NHS Cervical Screening Programme which aims to reduce the number of women who develop invasive cervical cancer by detecting and treating early abnormalities usually detected by a smear test.

We have specialist urogynaecology consultants who provide clinics for women with continence problems. This enables us to establish the best method of treating your problem.

For more information, visit the urogynaecology webpage.

Our specialist fertility consultants at Princess Royal Hospital run this clinic for women and their partners who are experiencing difficulties conceiving and hormonal problems (this is not an assisted conception service).

Women who have had three or more consecutive miscarriages, are seen by our specialist consultants that investigate possible causes of your miscarriage. They will also monitor you closely during any subsequent pregnancies.

Small procedures are carried out here often under local anesthetic inclusion of an intrauterine device (IUD).