I want to share my story of overcoming pelvic floor pain, in hope to help others receive the same help I got. I lived with this pain for seven years. At 24, with a newborn child and a promising career, I was struck by debilitating pelvic pain. My symptoms included lower abdominal pain, difficulty sitting, urinary issues, rectal cramps, and sharp pains in the genital area.
For years, doctors told me I was healthy and that the pain was "all in my head." I lost hope for a normal life, couldn’t work, my business went bankrupt, and I lived off my savings.
Finally, I found my diagnosis: pudendal nerve entrapment. I spent countless hours reading studies and researching surgeons with the best results. I reached out to Dr. Renaud Bollens, whose work was backed by strong research. Initially, I planned surgery in Lebanon, but a kind and honest surgeon there helped me connect with Dr. Bollens in Belgium, as my insurance covered it.
After the surgery, my pain disappeared immediately, though it took 6–8 months to feel fully healed and a year to return to my old self. Today, I’m pain-free and deeply grateful for life.
My advice:
If you suffer from these symptoms, don’t hesitate to consider surgery.
Research your surgeon and treatment options carefully. Many with pudendal nerve pain might actually have piriformis syndrome, as the symptoms are similar. Dr. Bollens is one of the few surgeons who treats both conditions, while others often only offer Botox.
If you have questions, I’m happy to help. There is hope!
Written by
Hans78
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Hi Hans! Im so glad to hear that there are several of us that have had the surgery by Dr. Bollens in Belgium and now have normal lives 🙏.
I had similar symptoms as you did, and the doctors I visited also told me my problems were psychological and all in my head. It´s scary that there are so many of us and I feel so bad for the ones who haven´t been helped yet.
Thank you for your kind words. I completely agree—it’s so comforting to know there are others who have had surgery with Dr. Bollens and regained a normal life 🙏.
It’s truly scary how many of us have been dismissed with claims that our symptoms are "all in our head." I feel the same way; my heart goes out to those who are still suffering and haven’t found the right help yet. Let’s hope more people get the care they need soon!
Loved reading about your success with decompression surgery. I to had right sided PNE and surgery helped me very much.
My surgery was done four years too late as the doctors in Vancouver misdiagnosed me with vulvodynia and cyclothymia. I am certain if I’d had my surgery sooner I would have healed 100%.
As I wrote in the comments below, Dr. Renaud is one of the few surgeons who can operate on the piriformis muscle. Make sure that’s not what you have. If you’re suffering from piriformis issues, it can also compress the pudendal nerve. In that case, you might improve by 70% after pudendal surgery, but the piriformis will still remain and continue to cause problems.
85% improvement is something I could have lived with compared to where I was before! What I did to speed up my healing was injecting peptides TB500 and BPC157, which stimulate stem cells to produce more healing cells. Read about these!
hi Hans , really glad I read your blog , I’m really interested in contacting him , PN is a horrible thing to suffer from it just eats away at you , I’ve been reading blogs and searched the internet then suddenly you pop up with this information,would you say how much approximately it cost you as I’ve no insurance cover , thanks
Hi! The cost was 28,000 euros, and there were other surgeons who were both more expensive and cheaper. However, based on everything I’ve read online about all the surgeons, I believe Dr. Renaud Bollens is without a doubt the best of them all, so I chose him. I’d rather play it safe. No other surgeon can, for example, operate on the piriformis muscle if needed, and he identifies such issues during the surgery. I wanted to make sure I was in the safest hands 🙌🏼 And a tip! To heal quickly after the surgery, I injected TB500 and BPC157 peptides, which stimulate stem cells to produce more cells!
Wow, good news. Any chance you could tell me how the doctor determined you had pudendal nerve entrapment? I read a few times that some doctors miss the entrapment on an MRI, which I just had done recently, and my report came back all clear. I've been living with similar pain for 5 years, had multiple tests done by my gynecologist, urologist, and most recently my colorectal surgeon, to no avail.
Glad to hear some of us are getting the proper care. I'm in the USA, and haven't found a doctor specializing in pudendal. The latest doctor is asking me to take a nerve pill with a anti-depressant, I'll be starting this regimen this weekend. Hoping for the best.
Hi! I suffered from this for 7 years, and I can tell you that no medication will fix the issue if you're dealing with pudendal nerve entrapment! I booked a consultation, and Dr. Renaud had me answer many questions. For example, difficulty sitting is a major sign that you might either have pudendal nerve entrapment or an overgrowth of the piriformis muscle. Other symptoms include stabbing pain or numbness in the perineum or rectal area, among others. Some people only have one or two symptoms but still suffer from pudendal nerve entrapment. Everyone is different, and during the consultation, he will guide you step by step on what to do. If nothing works, then surgery is the next step.
Personally, I think all intermediate steps like Botox and similar treatments are unnecessary, and I recommend going straight to surgery if you're a candidate for it.
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