Abdul H Sultan

I have been a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at Croydon University Hospital (since 1997) with a special interest in urogynaecology and pelvic floor reconstruction.  Prior to this time, I was a senior registrar at St. George's Hospital, London. I also hold an appointment as Honorary Reader at St George's University of London. I am the co-director of the urogynaecology subspecialty programme at Croydon University Hospital.  I am actively involved in education and training, research and management of obstetric-related trauma to the pelvic floor and anal sphincters.

I have conducted research, received numerous awards including The Hospital Doctor “Continence Team of the Year 2005” and overall UK Hospital Doctor of the Year 2005.  I continue to present invited esteemed lectures, and I have published extensively with over 100 publications in journals and textbooks on pelvic floor disorders and perineal and anal sphincter injuries sustained during childbirth.

During my research tenure at St. Mark's Hospital, London, I developed expertise in anal endosonography and anorectal physiology tests. I have been conferred a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree following acceptance of my thesis titled "The effect of childbirth on the anal sphincters". I have performed over 5000 anal ultrasound examinations, and my current practice includes perineal clinics as well as regular combined pelvic floor clinics and surgical lists with a colorectal surgeon. I have been the co-director of the International Hands-on Pelvic Floor and Anal Sphincter Ultrasound Master Class course since 2008.

My past/present committee positions include: the International Consultation on Incontinence Committee, the Scientific Committee of the International Urogynaecology Association, the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Vice Chair of The Croydon Research and Development Committee, President of the Royal Society of Medicine (Obstetrics and Gynaecology), President of the Croydon Medical Society and on executive board of the British Society of Urogynaecology.

I have been providing expert medical reports and Condition and Prognosis reports for both the claimant and defendant since 1996.

My focus at present is directed towards the training of doctors and midwives in the prevention and identification of perineal trauma during childbirth. We established the first international hands-on episiotomy, third and fourth-degree tear repair workshop in 1999, and since then, we have trained over 10,000 doctors to date. We have also initiated the first international hands-on perineal repair workshop for midwives at Croydon University Hospital, where midwives were also taught how to identify third degree tears and repair perineal trauma. We published the first comprehensive textbook on perineal trauma titled: Perineal and anal sphincter trauma by Sultan AH, Thakar R, Fenner D, Springer 2007 and produced a USB stick of videos on repair of perineal trauma (www.perineum.net). The second edition of this book is soon to be published.
www.gynaefocus.net