Miss Neelam Potdar Book a consultation

Leicester · Consultant Gynaecologist

Miss Neelam
Potdar

MBBS  MD  MSc  FRCOG

Consultant Gynaecologist and Subspecialist in Reproductive Medicine & Surgery

For more than twenty years, women across Leicestershire have come to me with questions that nobody had quite answered yet. My work is to listen properly, explain clearly, and find the way forward with you.

Book a consultation How I can help
Miss Neelam Potdar, Consultant Gynaecologist in Leicester
  • GMC 5207836
  • FRCOG
  • RCOG Subspecialist, Reproductive Medicine
  • Hon. Associate Professor, University of Leicester

I have been a doctor for over twenty years, and the part of the job I still care most about is the listening.

Most women who come to see me have already had a version of this conversation somewhere else. They have been told it is normal, or to wait and see, or that the tests came back fine. So I start by taking the problem seriously — and by explaining what I actually think is going on, in language that makes sense, for as long as that takes.

What happens next is yours as much as mine. I will give you my honest professional opinion and the evidence behind it, and then we decide together. Sometimes that means surgery or fertility treatment. Often it means something far simpler. What matters to me is that you leave knowing where you stand and what happens next.

— Neelam

How I can help

The problems women most often bring to me

  • Fertility & IVF

    “We’ve been trying, and no one can tell us why it isn’t working.”

    I am subspecialty-trained in reproductive medicine. That means a thorough work-up for both partners, a clear explanation of what the results mean, and an honest conversation about what treatment can — and cannot — do for you.

  • Endometriosis

    “The pain has been explained away before.”

    I have specialist training in minimal access surgery and consult within a BSGE-accredited endometriosis service in the NHS. Where excision surgery is the right answer, I will say so. Where it isn’t, I will say that too.

  • Recurrent miscarriage

    “Two losses, or more, and still no answer.”

    I led the recurrent pregnancy loss service in the NHS for eight years. If you have had two or more miscarriages there is a structured set of investigations worth doing — and, whatever they show, a plan for next time.

  • PCOS

    “Irregular periods, unwanted hair, weight that won’t shift.”

    Polycystic ovary syndrome affects far more than fertility, and it is very treatable. We will look at the whole picture — symptoms, hormones, long-term health — and decide what is actually worth doing.

  • Menopause & HRT

    “I don’t feel like myself any more.”

    Menopausal symptoms are worth seeking help for, and you have more options than you may have been told. I will assess you holistically and talk through HRT and the alternatives, with the evidence for each.

  • Heavy periods & fibroids

    “I’ve just learned to live with it.”

    You don’t have to. Heavy or painful periods, fibroids and polyps can nearly always be improved — often with a day-case procedure rather than major surgery, and sometimes with no surgery at all.

  • Adolescent gynaecology

    “My daughter is struggling and I don’t know where to start.”

    I look after younger patients with gynaecological problems, and I know a first appointment can feel daunting. It is done gently, at her pace, with as much or as little parental involvement as she wants.

  • Not sure where you fit?

    “Something isn’t right, but I can’t name it.”

    That is a perfectly good reason to book. A single consultation is often enough to work out whether there is something to investigate, and it is far better than waiting and wondering.

Surgery & procedures

What I can offer, and what it involves

Hysteroscopic surgery

Performed through the neck of the womb, so there are no cuts and no scars. Usually a day case — in and home the same day.

  • MyoSure — removal of polyps or fibroids from the lining of the womb, under direct vision.
  • NovaSure — treatment of the womb lining for heavy periods, where suitable, avoiding hysterectomy.
  • Resection of uterine septum — for recurrent miscarriage and subfertility.

Laparoscopic surgery

Keyhole surgery through very small incisions. Less pain, a shorter stay and a quicker return to normal life than open surgery.

  • Excision of endometriosis — to relieve pain and improve fertility outcomes.
  • Ovarian cysts — chocolate, dermoid and simple cysts, one or both ovaries.
  • Removal of a fallopian tube — for hydrosalpinx.
  • Laparoscopic hysterectomy — with or without removal of tubes and ovaries.
  • Myomectomy — removal of fibroids while keeping the womb.
  • Perineal repair — for scarred episiotomy.

Fertility procedures

Delivered through the Leicester Fertility Centre, where I am Clinical Lead and HFEA Licence Holder.

  • IVF — eggs collected, fertilised in the laboratory, and the embryo returned to the womb.
  • ICSI — a single sperm injected directly into the egg, where there is a sperm problem.
  • IUI and donor insemination
  • PGT-A — genetic testing of the embryo before transfer.
  • HyCoSy — ultrasound-guided test of whether the tubes are open.

Beyond the consulting room

Teaching, research and NHS leadership

  • Honorary Associate Professor University of Leicester
  • Clinical Lead & HFEA Licence Holder Leicester Fertility Centre
  • Former Lead (8 years), Recurrent Pregnancy Loss Service University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust
  • Consultant, BSGE-accredited endometriosis centre University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust
  • Subspecialty accreditation in Reproductive Medicine Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
  • MD, 2010 University of Leicester

Alongside clinical practice I teach, examine and research. My academic work looks at oxidative stress, early pregnancy, problems with implantation, and male subfertility — the questions that sit underneath so much unexplained infertility and recurrent loss.

I publish in peer-reviewed journals and present at national and international conferences. It keeps my practice honest: what I recommend in clinic should be what the evidence actually supports, not simply what I have always done.

Professional memberships

RCOG British Fertility Society BSGE ESHRE

In my patients’ words

What women have said afterwards

  • “You have turned my life around just when I thought it was all in my head. If it was allowed I would have hugged you a hundred times over — thank you for being amazing.”
    Patient, 2020
  • “Very understanding, sympathetic, reassuring, kind and knowledgeable. Listened to my concerns and had a good plan forward. Actually looking forward to a follow-up appointment, which has not been the case in past experiences.”
    Patient, 2020
  • “Miss Potdar made me feel at ease. She explained everything clearly and was happy to go over anything I didn’t fully understand. She showed empathy and understanding.”
    Patient, 2020
  • “Excellent. Knowledgeable, open to discussing and explaining treatment and possible outcomes — and importantly, listens to you as the patient. Highly recommended.”
    Patient, 2020

Independently published on PHIN, the government-mandated private healthcare information service: 95% of patients surveyed were likely or extremely likely to recommend Miss Potdar to a friend or relative, and 94% said she definitely met their needs.

Where to find me

Three places you can see me privately

Althea Women’s Healthcare, Leicester

  • The waiting area at Althea Women’s Healthcare, with armchairs and a wooden floor.
  • A nurse taking a blood sample from a patient.
  • A baby on a changing mat, a parent’s hand resting on their chest.
  • A woman holding her baby close.
  • A treatment room at the clinic, with an examination couch and ultrasound scanner.
  • A patient and clinician talking in a consulting room.
  • A young baby lying on a blanket.
  • An expectant couple sitting close together.
  • A pair of baby shoes beside a strip of ultrasound scan photographs.

Writing

Answers to the questions I’m asked most

Written for patients rather than for colleagues — plain language, no jargon, and honest about what we do and don’t know.

Read more at Althea Women’s Health →