Mr Pisal’s back to back marathon challenge; two in two weeks charity fundraiser

Women’s health is at the heart of London Gynaecology, and in addition to helping women every day in our practice, we are passionate about giving back and supporting charitable causes, especially those that support women and women’s health. Every year we focus on fundraising for charities close to our heart and those that aid women and gynaecological health.

We are delighted to share that our Consultant Gynaecologist, Mr Narendra Pisal, will be taking part in the London Marathon on Sunday 3^rd October 2021 and the Manchester Marathon on Sunday 10th October to raise funds that will be shared between women’s health services at The Whittington Hospital and also The MND Association. For every pound raised, London Gynaecology is proud to match the first £5,000 of donations raised.

The charities that have been chosen this year are close to the heart of London Gynaecology and Mr Pisal; the women’s health services at The Whittington Hospital where Mr Pisal has worked for the last 17 years in the department of gynaecological oncology and The MND Association, whose work improves care and support to those affected by motor neurone disease. Mr Pisal first became aware of The MND association charity through his friend Nilesh, Mr Pisal reveals, “Nilesh was diagnosed with MND, he is staying strong but we know it is important to raise awareness of the condition as he would like to raise funds to support much needed new research.”

Mr Pisal continues: “This fundraiser is incredibly important as the money raised will be split between both The Whittington Hospital to improve women’s health at the trust and to the dedicated charity The MND Association; both will benefit hugely from donations at this incredibly challenging time.”

Not content with running one marathon, shortly after completing the London Marathon, Mr Pisal will be heading north a few days later to take part in the Manchester Marathon, on a route that will cover the City Centre for the first time. Mr Pisal said: “Although the crowds may be smaller in numbers than traditional times, I look forward to soaking up the iconic atmosphere that the two Marathons bring and can’t wait to join the thousands of runners from across the UK and world together in London and Manchester for the events, while remembering my friend Nilesh’s smile and sense of humour throughout the tough moments, spurring me on. I will be giving the two medals to him on 17^th October.”

Five facts you may not know about motor neurone disease (MND):

• The condition can affect adults of any age, but it is more likely to affect people over 50.
• There is a 1 in 300 risk of being diagnosed with MND
• The condition can affect how you walk, talk eat, drink and breathe
• People with MND may experience changes to their thinking and behaviour – but it affects everyone differently
• MND is life-shortening and there is no cure – although the disease will progress, symptoms can be managed to help achieve the best possible quality of life

If you would like to help Mr Pisal reach his target please, visit his fundraising page: Mr’s Pisal’s two in two weeks, back to back marathons fundraiser

To learn more about MND, click here.

Covid vaccine: the discussion around menstrual changes

Ahead of your covid vaccine appointment, you may have heard or read about some of the possible side affects you may experience such as fever, headache or more commonly a painful arm for a day or two after being vaccinated. There will be no mention of ‘changes to menstrual cycle’.

However, some women are sharing their personal stories on social media often related to how they have suddenly experienced ‘heavier-than-normal periods’ after having the COVID-19 vaccine. This discussion was first started by two doctors from the US on Twitter in February 2021, Dr Kate Clancy and Dr Katherine Lee.

Dr Kate Clancy, a medical anthropologist, shared her experience about her own unusually heavy period following the Moderna vaccine, and received dozens of similar messages in response. Her former colleague Dr Katharine Lee launched a survey documenting people’s experiences.

At present, there is not any evidence to report whether the vaccine is linked to menstrual changes, as this has not yet been studied.

Mr Narendra Pisal, our consultant gynaecologist reveals: “In our experience at London Gynaecology, these menstrual changes are transient and usually resolve within 3 cycles. This risk is far outweighed by the benefit of protection against the potentially serious COVID infection and we strongly recommend the vaccine for all women.”

Dr Victoria Male, a reproductive immunologist at Imperial College London told the BBC in the article ‘Covid vaccine: Period changes could be a short-term side effect.’ that, “Some post-menopausal women, and people taking hormones which stop their periods, have reported bleeding.” Therefore, according to the article, Dr Male is inclined to suspect there may be a physical reaction occurring.

Make an appointment: 

If you experience any bleeding that is unusual for you, we advise you to contact your GP, or gynaecologist. At London Gynaecology, we have a team of consultants who see patients at two convenient locations; The Portland Hospital in Central London and our new location within Austin Friars in the City of London.  To book a consultation please email our team on [email protected] or call 0207 10 11 700 (24hrs).

Adenomyosis: symptoms and diagnosis

What are the symptoms of Adenomyosis?

 The symptoms of adenomyosis, a common yet under-recognised condition characterised by an enlarged uterus due to infiltration of the uterine lining into the muscle wall, may vary, and in fact, many women may not display any symptoms at all.

Here we highlight the symptoms of adenomyosis which can cause severe period pain and cramps and may include:

• Typically heavy and painful periods;
• A lump felt in the lower abdomen (as the uterus may become so enlarged);
• Urinary frequency and constipation – caused by pressure on the bladder and bowel due to having an enlarged uterus.

April is Adenomyosis Awareness Month and it is important we shine a light on a condition that many women live with, without ever having a diagnosis. A lot of women with adenomyosis have such bad periods that they have to put their life on hold during their time of the month. It affects their work and quality of life significantly. It can lead to anaemia due to heavy bleeding and lead to extreme tiredness and also affect performance at work and sports.

During menstruation, the adenomyotic tissue swells up in addition to the uterine lining and bleeds within the uterine wall which can lead to severe period pain, cramps and heavy periods.

There are many other causes of heavy and painful periods such as fibroids and endometriosis which are more commonly known. In fact, both fibroids and endometriosis often coexist with adenomyosis. Adenomyosis is also known as ‘internal’ endometriosis as the uterine lining grows inside the uterine wall whereas it grows outside the uterus with endometriosis.

How is adenomyosis diagnosed?

This condition can be difficult to diagnose as the symptoms are common and affect a lot of women. A large proportion of women have heavy and painful periods and accept the symptoms as ‘normal for me’. Women don’t often know how heavy or painful their periods are supposed to be.

The condition is often diagnosed on an ultrasound or MRI scan where an enlarged uterus is seen with one wall of the uterus thicker than the other.

You can call your periods heavy, if you are passing lots of clots or having to constantly use double protection, changing protection more frequently than every four hours or if your periods are making you anemic.

What are the treatment options available?

Adenomyosis can be a difficult condition to treat. To make the periods less painful, supportive treatment is often the first line of management with medication (painkillers and antispasmodic medication such as Mefenamic Acid) and to reduce the bleeding (Tranexamic Acid). Sometimes taking the minipill or the contraceptive pill back to back can also stop the periods and hence help with the symptoms. Mirena intrauterine device is also helpful in reducing the symptoms significantly. The condition also improves during and after pregnancy and after menopause.

Uterine artery embolisation (UAE) is a treatment usually reserved for fibroids but is also very effective for treating adenomyosis.  The uterine blood supply is blocked by an interventional procedure carried out through the groin blood vessels. Hysterectomy is often reserved for extreme cases where the symptoms are resistant to other forms of treatment and the family is complete.

Make an appointment:

At London Gynaecology, our consultants provide diagnosis of and see patients for the treatment of adenomyosis at our practice locations at The Portland Hospital and at our new opening in the City of London.  To book a consultation please email our team on [email protected] or call 0207 10 11 700 (24hrs).

To learn more about our adenomyosis package, click here.

We’re proud to see and treat all patients who need our care

At London Gynaecology, we are proud to see and treat patients from the LGBTQ+ community who need our care.

As a private Gynaecology practice, we offer clinics in a discreet and charming location of the city of London and at the renowned Central London hospital, The Portland Hospital. Our consultants and wider team are dedicated to providing a tailored patient centric experience at every stage of your visit. The level of care will not be compromised.

Many of our consultants hold senior positions at their NHS Trust and have a wealth of experience and expertise seeing and treating patients, providing a patient led experience regardless of whether you are: A transgender woman, choose not to identify as a woman and those who identify as LGBTQ+.

To learn about our services and expertise, click here.

The most common postpartum health issues explained

Consultant Gynaecologist, Mrs Pradnya Pisal, spoke with The Independent to provide insight on an important topic focusing on some of the most common postpartum health issues.

Tips for dealing with missed periods

Our consultant Gynaecologist, Mr Pisal, talks to Marie Claire about the reasons why the pandemic has had an impact on women and their periods and shares helpful tips on how best to deal with missed periods.

To read the article, click here.

Cycling injuries: labial and vaginal conditions

Many of us have taken up cycling during the pandemic and perhaps will decide to continue cycling as a way of travelling into work when lockdown restrictions ease and as we brace the ‘new normal’.

Our consultant Gynaecologist, Mrs Pradnya Pisal, spoke with Cycling News to outline the various ways long hours cycling can affect our most delicate parts.

Diagnosing labial and vaginal conditions:

Chafing

The skin around the genital area and the groin/medium part of the thigh may experience chafing caused by a mixture of contact friction, sweat and the fabric of your cycling clothes.  The superficial layer of the skin is abraded and causes that area to be sensitive and painful.

“If chafing is ignored, it can turn into open sores due to the damage of the top layer of the skin.

Skin sensitivity and numbness

“Sitting on a saddle for a long time can cause sensitivity or numbness of the labia and perineal area. The pressure on the skin affects the nerve endings, and this repeated pressure on the nerve endings [can cause tingling and sensitivity]. Over a period of time that sensitivity and tingling sensation will turn to numbness, so there is almost a loss of the superficial nerve endings in that area of the skin.”

Labial enlargement

Pressure on a woman’s vulva can cause the labia to become swollen and appear bigger. Some women already have asymmetrical or enlarged (hypertrophied) labia and this can exacerbate the issues listed above. I have come across women with enlarged labia who have sought labiaplasty (surgery to reduce the size of the labia) as the pressure causes intense pain during cycle rides so much so that they are unable to continue riding.

Vaginal irritation and infection (thrush and bacterial vaginosis)

Thrush is a very common vaginal infection, caused by an overgrowth of yeasts which live normally in the bowel and may be present in other parts of the body, such as the mouth, skin and vagina. Thrush occurs when the good bacteria in the vagina can’t keep the fungus under control, creating a suitable environment for the overgrowth of this fungus.  When cycling, there is a lot of perspiration and so the sweat collects in that area of the skin and any stagnation of sweat over a surface is likely to result in growth of fungus. The advice is to not linger in your clothes after a bike ride and to wash them immediately, so not to allow the yeast to grow.

Urinary tract infections (UTI)

A UTI is an infection of your bladder, so you may feel the sudden urge to pee and experience pain or a stinging sensation when peeing. These usually are caused by bacteria entering the urinary tract. Using the right padded cycle shorts without underwear is important. Always wash the shorts immediately and use a fresh pair each time you ride a bike. Cycling shorts will get damp with sweat with little ventilation and rubbed up against your body is a breeding ground for bacteria.  Also dehydration or going on long bike rides without emptying the bladder quick enough can cause this so ensure you drink plenty of water and empty the bladder without delaying too much, to help flush bacteria out and prevent urinary tract infections. This will help to avoid pressure symptoms but also prevent vaginal and urinary tract infections.

To continue reading the full article, click here.

Tier 4 update: we are open

We would like to inform patients that our clinic remains open despite the new tier 4 restrictions that affect London. In line with government advice, we are continuing to see patients as normal for all gynaecological conditions and complaints.

Over the Christmas and new year period, we will continue to run clinics but at a reduced capacity.

Mr Pisal’s charity marathon to support women’s health services in the NHS

Women’s health is at the heart of London Gynaecology, and in addition to helping women through our practice we are passionate about supporting charitable causes.  We’re proud to share that on Sunday 4^th October, Consultant Gynaecologist Mr Narendra Pisal, will be taking part in the first ever virtual London Marathon, joining 45,000 runners around the world who are each running from their own starting points.

Mr Pisal is raising money for women’s health services at The Whittington Hospital where he has worked for the last 17 years in the department of gynaecological oncology and says, “There’s no doubt that the NHS needs funds more than ever right now and so all the money raised will be used to improve women’s health services at The Whittington Hospital, which is much needed during this incredibly challenging time for the NHS.”

Having completed 14 marathons and previously fundraised for gynaecological cancer charities, Mr Pisal had hoped to participate in both the Comrades and London marathons this year but due to the pandemic this was not possible.

London Gynaecology is delighted to support this cause and will match every pound donated up to £5,000. If you would like to help Mr Pisal reach his target please click here to visit his fundraising page.

Fish in pregnancy: what is safe to eat & what is best avoided

The advice surrounding oily fish in pregnancy can be rather confusing. Laura Southern, our nutritional therapist, clarifies what oily fish is safe to eat while pregnant and what is best to be avoided altogether.

Oily fish, such as salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, herring and trout contain high levels of omega 3 fats. These are essential for helping develop baby’s brain, however certain oily fish are very toxic and should be avoided.

Due to sea pollution, fish farmed from the sea is usually contaminated with mercury and PCBs. The larger the fish, the higher up the food chain it is, which means the toxicity levels are much higher than smaller fish.

What is safe to eat during pregnancy and what should you avoid?

• Marlin and swordfish are best avoided during pregnancy.
• Tuna, also a large fish, and has a high mercury content and should only be consumed a maximum of once a fortnight.
• Canned tuna is generally a smaller tuna species and is canned without the fish oils meaning it’s safe to consume during pregnancy, however it does not provide the omega 3 benefits.
• Smaller oily fish, such are sardines, anchovies and mackerel are ‘safe’ & it’s recommended they’re consumed 2 -3 times a week.
• During pregnancy fish should always be thoroughly cooked as raw fish can harbour parasites which can infect the mother. If raw fish is frozen before consuming, then this will kill the parasite. For this reason, sushi is safe to eat, only if you can be sure the restaurant uses frozen fish. If not, then don’t eat it.
• Smoked fish, for example smoked salmon, is safe to eat during pregnancy, but treat it as an oily fish – so consume maximum 3 times a week.

Make an appointment

If you would like to learn more about pregnancy nutrition with Laura Southern, or if would like to book a consultation with any other member of the London Gynaecology team, please call 0207 10 11 700 or email [email protected]