Skip to main content
Abdul H. Sultan

Abdul H. Sultan

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

Training and career​

  • Current position Consultant obstetrician and urogynecologist, Croydon University Hospital; honorary reader, St George's University of London1
  • Medical school Basic medical training for the MBChB degree, South Africa1
  • Other training Research post at St Bartholomew's and Homerton Hospitals, supervised by Chris Hudson, and at St Mark's Hospital, supervised by Clive Bartram and Mike Kamm1
  • Leadership Scientific chair, International Urogynecological Association (2025–2028)1

Known for​

  • Endoanal-ultrasound study of childbirth injury (1993). Sultan's prospective study used anal ultrasonography to document sphincter disruption after vaginal delivery, including injuries missed clinically.2
  • Sultan classification of perineal tears (1999). Sultan subdivided third-degree obstetric tears by external and internal anal-sphincter involvement.3
  • IUGA obstetric anal-sphincter injury guideline (2026). Sultan chaired the IUGA initiative and led guidance on prevention, diagnosis, repair and follow-up of obstetric anal-sphincter injuries.4 Cited on WARWIKI: Episioproctotomy for Rectovaginal Fistula.

Biography​

Abdul H. Sultan is a consultant obstetrician and urogynecologist at Croydon University Hospital and an honorary reader at St George's University of London.1 He completed basic medical training for the MBChB degree in South Africa before moving to the United Kingdom in 1984.1 He later held a research post supervised by Chris Hudson at St Bartholomew's and Homerton Hospitals and by Clive Bartram and Mike Kamm at St Mark's Hospital.1 He is scientific chair of the International Urogynecological Association for 2025 to 2028.1

Contributions​

Sultan's cited work centers on obstetric anal sphincter and perineal injury, including endosonographic anatomy, rectal buttonhole tears, wound resuturing, and an international guideline. Other confirmed papers examine ultrasound guided treatment of fecal incontinence and imaging of pelvic mesh.56789

Cited on WARWIKI

6 publications with Abdul H. Sultan as a listed author are cited on WARWIKI, ordered by the number of pages that cite them. Papers whose author list is shortened to "et al." before this name are not included.

  1. Sultan AH, Okeahialam NA, De Leeuw J, et al. IUGA International Guidelines on Obstetric Anal Sphincter Injuries. Int Urogynecol J. 2026;37:2223–2280. doi
    Cited on: Anorectal Function & Defecography · Ultrasound in Reconstructive Urology · Obstetric Perineal & Vaginal Lacerations
  2. Roper JC, Thakar R, Sultan AH. Isolated rectal buttonhole tears in obstetrics: case series and review of the literature. Int Urogynecol J. 2021;32(7):1761–1769. doi
    Cited on: Obstetric Perineal & Vaginal Lacerations
  3. Okeahialam NA, Thakar R, Kleprlikova H, Taithongchai A, Sultan AH. Early re-suturing of dehisced obstetric perineal wounds: a 13-year experience. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2020;254:69–73. doi
    Cited on: Obstetric Perineal & Vaginal Lacerations
  4. Taithongchai A, Sultan AH, Wieczorek PA, Thakar R. Clinical application of 2D and 3D pelvic-floor ultrasound of mid-urethral slings and vaginal-wall mesh. Int Urogynecol J. 2019;30(9):1401–1411. doi
    Cited on: Mesh Complications & Removal — POP and SUI Mesh
  5. Beggs AD, Irukulla S, Sultan AH, Ness W, Abulafi AM. A Pilot Study of Ultrasound Guided Durasphere Injection in the Treatment of Faecal Incontinence. Colorectal Disease. 2010;12(9):935-940. doi
    Cited on: Durasphere — Carbon-Coated Beads
  6. Sultan AH, Kamm MA, Hudson CN, Nicholls JR, Bartram CI. "Endosonography of the Anal Sphincters: Normal Anatomy and Comparison with Manometry." Clin Radiol. 1994;49(6):368–374. doi
    Cited on: The Anal Canal

Footnotes​

  1. Welcome to Gynaefocus. Accessed October 2026. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8

  2. Sultan AH, Kamm MA, Hudson CN, et al. "Anal-Sphincter Disruption during Vaginal Delivery." N Engl J Med. 1993;329(26):1905–1911. doi:10.1056/nejm199312233292601 ↩

  3. Sultan AH. "Editorial: Obstetrical Perineal Injury and Anal Incontinence." Clinical Risk. 1999;5(6):193–196. doi:10.1177/135626229900500601 ↩

  4. Sultan AH, Okeahialam NA, De Leeuw J, et al. "IUGA International Guidelines on Obstetric Anal Sphincter Injuries." Int Urogynecol J. 2026;37(8):2223–2280. doi:10.1007/s00192-026-06642-3 ↩

  5. Sultan AH, Okeahialam NA, De Leeuw J, et al. IUGA International Guidelines on Obstetric Anal Sphincter Injuries. Int Urogynecol J. 2026;37:2223–2280. doi:10.1007/s00192-026-06642-3 ↩

  6. Sultan AH, Kamm MA, Hudson CN, Nicholls JR, Bartram CI. "Endosonography of the Anal Sphincters: Normal Anatomy and Comparison with Manometry." Clin Radiol. 1994;49(6):368–374. doi:10.1016/s0009-9260(05)81819-7 ↩

  7. Beggs AD, Irukulla S, Sultan AH, Ness W, Abulafi AM. A Pilot Study of Ultrasound Guided Durasphere Injection in the Treatment of Faecal Incontinence. Colorectal Disease. 2010;12(9):935-940. doi:10.1111/j.1463-1318.2009.01927.x ↩

  8. Roper JC, Thakar R, Sultan AH. Isolated rectal buttonhole tears in obstetrics: case series and review of the literature. Int Urogynecol J. 2021;32(7):1761–1769. doi:10.1007/s00192-020-04502-2 ↩

  9. Okeahialam NA, Thakar R, Kleprlikova H, Taithongchai A, Sultan AH. Early re-suturing of dehisced obstetric perineal wounds: a 13-year experience. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2020;254:69–73. doi:10.1016/j.ejogrb.2020.09.013 ↩