We believe that surgery should only ever be contemplated as a very last resort, once all other treatment options have proved unsuccessful. As yet, we remain unconvinced that surgery is a good option for women with PGP, even those with very severe and long-term symptoms. The reason for this is that a number of women who have been told they need surgery and that it is the only option have then gone for good (as in expert) manual therapy and made a full recovery. In each case, women have told us that hands-on treatment was not an option they had previously been aware of, or that they had seen a physiotherapist who had given them advice and exercises or belts and crutches, and they had not known that any alternative was available or might be effective.

A number of women who have had surgery for their chronic pain have been very disappointed with the outcome, as pain is not really what it treats, and several have said they wished they had not had it done. We therefore encourage anyone considering this route to really try absolutely everything else first. Once you have had surgery there is no going back – everything else we suggest is reversible, surgery is not.

We are happy to talk through your alternatives if you are considering or being advised to consider surgery, please contact us on our telephone helpline. You may also find these suggested questions on the NHS Choices website useful to ask your surgeon before any surgery, to help you to make an informed choice about whether this is the right option for you.

Content reviewed and updated in 2017.