Perineal Clinic

The complicated postnatal care (‘perineal’) clinic provides care to women who have experienced anal sphincter injury during the birth of their baby, both in the immediate postnatal period or when women are pregnant again after a previous injury.

The clinic works closely with the physiotherapy department. An anal sphincter injury occurs when there is a tear from the vagina into the back passage. A third degree tear is where the ring of muscle around the back passage (anal sphincter) is damaged during birth. A fourth degree tear is where the tear goes as far as the anal canal (inside the back passage).

 

Other Complications

This clinic also provides care for women who have other problems after the birth of their baby, for example, perineal pain, dyspareunia (pain on sexual intercourse) or a perineal wound infection. Women are usually referred to this clinic from within the Rotunda, but GP referral for delayed postnatal complications are accepted. The clinic also has links with the department of colorectal surgery in the Mater Hospital and the pain clinic in Beaumont Hospital for any women who require referral. The clinic also provides care for women who have experienced FGM and works in close collaboration with the HSE funded FGM clinic at IFPA (https://www.ifpa.ie/get-care/free-fgm-treatment-service/).

 

2 Weeks