{"id":616,"date":"2026-05-07T11:49:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T10:49:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/gynaecology\/?page_id=616"},"modified":"2026-05-07T11:49:55","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T10:49:55","slug":"how-your-care-is-organised","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/gynaecology\/how-your-care-is-organised\/","title":{"rendered":"How your care is organised"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Care for gynaecological cancer is delivered by several specialist teams working closely together. Information about clinical oncology and medical oncology services \u2014 including radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and other systemic treatments \u2014 can be found on the Edinburgh Cancer Centre website<\/a> <\/strong>. These services are based at the Western General Hospital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On this page, we focus on the Surgical Gynaecological Oncology team, as this is usually the team you will meet first in your cancer journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Surgical Gynaecological Oncology Team<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Surgical Gynaecological Oncology team is often the first specialist team involved when a gynaecological cancer is suspected. Our role is to work with you to reach a clear diagnosis and, where appropriate, plan surgical treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Many gynaecological cancers are treated primarily with surgery. As a result, this team plays a central role in:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Reviewing and explaining the results of your tests and scans<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Planning any further investigations needed to clarify the diagnosis<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Discussing whether surgery is recommended<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Explaining alternative treatment options where relevant<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>
    \"Picture<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    At these appointments, we will talk through the potential benefits, risks, and limitations of different approaches. Decisions about treatment are made jointly with you. We encourage you to ask questions, take time to consider your options, and feel empowered to be fully involved in decisions about your care. Writing questions down in advance can be very helpful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Preparing for surgery<\/strong><\/h2>
    \n

    Once surgery is planned, a wider team supports you in preparing safely and effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This may include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • Review by the anaesthetic team to assess fitness for surgery<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Support from a dietitian or prehabilitation team to optimise nutrition and physical strength<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Ongoing contact with your Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS), who acts as a key point of support and communication<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Coordination by our administrative team, who work behind the scenes to ensure appointments, investigations, and theatre scheduling remain on track<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Not every patient will need all of these steps, but they are an important part of ensuring surgery is as safe and well-planned as possible.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

      On the day of surgery<\/strong><\/h2>
      \n

      On the day of your operation, you will meet your surgeon, who will confirm the planned procedure and your consent. As a teaching hospital, medical students or doctors in training may be present. If this is not acceptable to you, please let us know \u2014 your wishes will always be respected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      For reasons of availability or urgency, the surgeon performing your operation may occasionally be different from the consultant you met in clinic. All surgeons operating within the service are appropriately trained specialists working within an agreed treatment plan.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

      After surgery<\/h2>
      \n

      After your operation, it is common to have:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      • A urinary catheter<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Intravenous lines for fluids and medication<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Time in a recovery area with specialist nursing care<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Some patients may require care in a high-dependency unit (HDU). If this is likely, it will be discussed with you in advance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • You may return directly to the ward or to a higher-level care area depending on the type of surgery and your recovery needs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

        Supporting your recovery<\/strong><\/h2>
        \n

        Your recovery plan will be individual to you, but general measures that often help include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n
        • Gentle movement as soon as you are able, with support from nursing or physiotherapy staff<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Sitting out of bed and walking short distances when safe to do so<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Eating little and often as your appetite returns<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Drinking regularly to stay well hydrated<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Chewing sugar-free gum, which can help bowel function recover after abdominal surgery<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Taking slow, deep breaths and using breathing exercises if advised<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

          Pain control is an important part of recovery. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

          This may involve:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \n
          • An epidural or spinal anaesthetic<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • Patient-controlled analgesia (a pump you control)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • Oral pain relief such as paracetamol and other medications<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • Pain management is tailored to your needs. Please tell your team if pain is not well controlled \u2014 there are many options, and adjustments can be made.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • Listening to your body, following advice from your clinical team, and asking questions are key. Writing questions down can help organise your thoughts and make discussions easier<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

            Results and follow-up<\/h2>
            \n

            The tissue removed during surgery is examined by specialist pathologists. These results often take several weeks and are reviewed at a multidisciplinary team meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            We will arrange a follow-up appointment to discuss:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              \n
            • The pathology results<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • What they mean for your diagnosis<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • Whether any additional treatment is recommended<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • Your recovery and next steps<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

              Care for gynaecological cancer is delivered by several specialist teams working closely together. Information about clinical oncology and medical oncology services — including radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and other systemic treatments — can be found on the Edinburgh Cancer Centre website . These services are based at the Western General Hospital. On this page, we focus<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":354,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-templates\/widewidth.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"class_list":["post-616","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"rttpg_featured_image_url":null,"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"simonlloyd","author_link":"https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/gynaecology\/author\/simonlloyd\/"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":false,"rttpg_excerpt":"Care for gynaecological cancer is delivered by several specialist teams working closely together. Information about clinical oncology and medical oncology services — including radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and other systemic treatments — can be found on the Edinburgh Cancer Centre website . These services are based at the Western General Hospital. On this page, we focus","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/gynaecology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/616","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/gynaecology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/gynaecology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/gynaecology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/354"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/gynaecology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=616"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/gynaecology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/616\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1151,"href":"https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/gynaecology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/616\/revisions\/1151"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/gynaecology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=616"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/services.nhslothian.scot\/gynaecology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=616"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}