Latest news with #PelvicCongestionSyndrome
Canberra Times
4 days ago
- Health
- Canberra Times
Doctors said their pain was 'in your head' for years, until this surgeon came along
Chronic pelvic pain affects up to 25 per cent of women of reproductive age and nearly half of Australian women at some point in their lives. Dr Villalba's patients had Pelvic Congestion Syndrome (varicose veins in the pelvis), which is increasingly being recognised as a main contributor to chronic pelvic pain - with some research attributing a third of cases to it.
Sydney Morning Herald
24-05-2025
- Health
- Sydney Morning Herald
Why women deserve to be treated seriously when they are in pain
'First, do no harm' has long been a guiding principle of medicine. What if instead it was, 'first, listen to the patient'? For Lilli Staff, it might have saved years of pain. When she was 17, she was told her debilitating pelvic pain was normal by several gynaecologists on the NSW South Coast. Two years later, a Sydney gynaecologist diagnosed her with the most severe form of endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome. It is yet another example of a woman who has been dismissed, belittled, misdiagnosed or gas-lit to come to light since The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age launched an investigation into medical misogyny. As health editor Kate Aubusson reveals today, there are promising signs of a treatment for Pelvic Congestion Syndrome, which is among the many under-researched potential contributors to chronic pelvic pain. There are studies that suggest the syndrome, characterised by damage to the major veins that run through the pelvis, may contribute to as many as 30 or 40 per cent of cases where no other cause, such as endometriosis, can be identified. The promising treatment in question is stenting, a technique more commonly associated with repairing the arteries of cardiovascular patients. In a recent study, vascular surgeon associate professor Laurencia Villalba followed 113 women (aged 17 to 88) with blocked pelvic veins who underwent stenting after suffering severe pelvic pain, some for up to 25 years. Villalba and her co-author, associate professor Theresa Larkin, found that after the procedure, almost every woman (all but two patients) reported that her pain had lessened significantly six to 12 months later, and most (73 per cent) reported that their pain had disappeared completely. This is an encouraging outcome, although it must be said much more study is needed. In the words of associate professor Sarah Aitken, the deputy chair of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons' (RACS) Vascular Board, 'this is still a big area of unprioritised research'. Loading Earlier in the week, Aubusson also reported that a world-first endometriosis institute will be established at the University of NSW. It has come about courtesy of the largest known donation in the world towards researching the condition whereby tissue similar to the lining of the uterus, the endometrium, grows in other parts of the body. The Ainsworth family, NSW pokies billionaires, committed the funds to establish the Ainsworth Endometriosis Research Institute (AERI), which has been heralded as a game-changer after a 30-year lag in science investment. The two stories highlight how important it is for doctors, other medical professionals and researchers to take women seriously when they say they are in pain. The advances being made are welcome, of course, and it is important not to rush into adopting treatments for poorly understood conditions without careful ongoing study. But there is a glaring lack of knowledge and research in an area that has been neglected for far too long.
The Age
24-05-2025
- Health
- The Age
Why women deserve to be treated seriously when they are in pain
'First, do no harm' has long been a guiding principle of medicine. What if instead it was, 'first, listen to the patient'? For Lilli Staff, it might have saved years of pain. When she was 17, she was told her debilitating pelvic pain was normal by several gynaecologists on the NSW South Coast. Two years later, a Sydney gynaecologist diagnosed her with the most severe form of endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome. It is yet another example of a woman who has been dismissed, belittled, misdiagnosed or gas-lit to come to light since The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age launched an investigation into medical misogyny. As health editor Kate Aubusson reveals today, there are promising signs of a treatment for Pelvic Congestion Syndrome, which is among the many under-researched potential contributors to chronic pelvic pain. There are studies that suggest the syndrome, characterised by damage to the major veins that run through the pelvis, may contribute to as many as 30 or 40 per cent of cases where no other cause, such as endometriosis, can be identified. The promising treatment in question is stenting, a technique more commonly associated with repairing the arteries of cardiovascular patients. In a recent study, vascular surgeon associate professor Laurencia Villalba followed 113 women (aged 17 to 88) with blocked pelvic veins who underwent stenting after suffering severe pelvic pain, some for up to 25 years. Villalba and her co-author, associate professor Theresa Larkin, found that after the procedure, almost every woman (all but two patients) reported that her pain had lessened significantly six to 12 months later, and most (73 per cent) reported that their pain had disappeared completely. This is an encouraging outcome, although it must be said much more study is needed. In the words of associate professor Sarah Aitken, the deputy chair of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons' (RACS) Vascular Board, 'this is still a big area of unprioritised research'. Loading Earlier in the week, Aubusson also reported that a world-first endometriosis institute will be established at the University of NSW. It has come about courtesy of the largest known donation in the world towards researching the condition whereby tissue similar to the lining of the uterus, the endometrium, grows in other parts of the body. The Ainsworth family, NSW pokies billionaires, committed the funds to establish the Ainsworth Endometriosis Research Institute (AERI), which has been heralded as a game-changer after a 30-year lag in science investment. The two stories highlight how important it is for doctors, other medical professionals and researchers to take women seriously when they say they are in pain. The advances being made are welcome, of course, and it is important not to rush into adopting treatments for poorly understood conditions without careful ongoing study. But there is a glaring lack of knowledge and research in an area that has been neglected for far too long.
Daily Record
28-04-2025
- Health
- Daily Record
Kate Lawler's health battle went undiagnosed for years and left her doubled over in pain
Kate Lawler has opened up on a health battle that left her in severe pain. The former Big Brother star appeared on Loose Women on Monday and revealed she's raising awareness to demand more education within the NHS about women's health conditions . The mum of one said she'd been left struggling for so long as medics grappled to find out what was wrong with her that she was often doubled up in agony. Kate, 44, told the ITV panel she first experienced the symptoms in 2017 as a continuous stabbing in her groin, which would be exacerbated during her menstrual cycle or after intimacy, as reports Surrey Live. After attending a raft of medical appointments, and a trip to A&E when the pain became unbearable, she was still in the dark. She said doctors suggested a hernia at one point, and she'd even at diagnosed herself with appendicitis, which was ruled out by medics. The ITV This Morning star revealed the medical mystery was finally solved years later, by chance. As she was attending a specialist in London for varicose veins, she was told she had Pelvic Congestion Syndrome after she underwent a series of tests. The Bond Street medics decided to test for the condition after asking if she'd had any abdominal or pelvic pain. The NHS defines Pelvic Congestion Syndrome as a chronic pain condition caused by varicose veins in the pelvis, particularly the ovarian veins. Treatment comes after a gynaecological examination and involves an ultrasound and sometimes a pelvic vein embolisation, which means the faulty vein is blocked off. Kate told the Loose Women panel about her ordeal after being probed by Jane Moore about an experience on holiday in 2018 which saw her rushed to hospital. Kate said: 'My symptoms started in December 2017, I had the worst pain in my lower groin area and I went to the doctors I had a transabdominal scan, I had a pelvic scan, I ended up in A&E in the March, here in the UK because the pain was so bad." She continued: "I then had another scan, everything was telling me, well the AandE trip, she said she thought I had a hernia. I didn't have a hernia. Then I thought I had an appendicitis, it wasn't that. "Then I ended up in Greece on holiday and I was like 'something bad is happening' and they were like 'everything is fine' and i was like 'am I going mad?" The former Virgin Radio host added that she is now committed to raising awareness about the condition and wants to see more being done to educate medics in the field. Loose Women airs weekdays on ITV1, from 12:30pm.
Daily Mirror
28-04-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Kate Lawler rushed to hospital over agonising condition that doctors couldn't diagnose
Former Big Brother winner and TV personality Kate Lawler has opened up on a harrowing health battle that would leave her hunched over in pain and even hospitalised Kate Lawler has urged for better education within the NHS regarding women's health as she shared her own experience of being hospitalised due to severe pain. The 44-year-old star appeared on Monday's episode of Loose Women, where she discussed her health struggle that left her doubled over in pain while doctors struggled to identify her condition. Kate described her discomfort as a constant stabbing sensation in her groin area, which was particularly problematic during her menstrual cycle or after intimacy. The issue first emerged in 2017, with the former Big Brother champion undergoing numerous medical appointments, scans and even an A&E visit to determine the cause. At one point, a doctor suggested she had a hernia, but this was not the case. Kate also suspected appendicitis, but this was also ruled out. It wasn't until several years later, by chance, that Kate was informed by a leading varicose veins specialist in London that she had Pelvic Congestion Syndrome, following a series of tests. She had initially visited the Bond Street clinic to address varicose veins on her legs when the doctor asked if she had been experiencing abdominal and pelvic pain, reports Surrey Live. After revealing her prolonged agony, he ordered tests which confirmed she had been suffering from the condition for some time. According to the NHS website, Pelvic Congestion Syndrome is a chronic pain condition caused by varicose veins in the pelvis, particularly the ovarian veins. It is treated with technology that stops the problematic vein from working. Kate, who is now on a mission to raise awareness about the relatively unknown condition and advocate for more guidance and education when it comes to women's health, shared her own experience on the popular daytime show. Jane initiated the conversation, recalling the moment when Kate was rushed to hospital while on holiday back in 2018. Kate revealed: "My symptoms started in December 2017, I had the worst pain in my lower groin area and I went to the doctors I had a transabdominal scan, I had a pelvic scan, I ended up in A&E in the March, here in the UK because the pain was so bad." She continued: "I then had another scan, everything was telling me, well the AandE trip, she said she thought I had a hernia. I didn't have a hernia. Then I thought I had an appendicitis, it wasn't that. "Then I ended up in Greece, on holiday and I was like 'something bad is happening' and they were like 'everything is fine' and i was like 'am I going mad?'" Loose Women airs weekdays on ITV1, from 12:30pm.
