A Warrington man says a new operation being performed at Whiston Hospital has been “life-changing.’’
Graham Gordon, 73, recently underwent a procedure called Aquablation Therapy, a revolutionary new robotic treatment for men with enlarged prostates, which he says has made a huge difference to his day-to-day life.
Whiston Hospital is the first NHS site in the North of England to offer the Aquablation surgery which helps men who have a non-cancerous, enlarged prostate known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) which affects up to three million men in the UK.
Though it is not prostate cancer the condition, which is common among men over 50, can have a detrimental impact on a person’s quality-of-life, including a frequent need to urinate and difficulty to fully empty bladders. If left untreated, it can lead to more severe symptoms such as acute urinary retention and infections.
Graham said: “I have suffered from prostate problems since 2009 and although I have been on regular medication which has helped, the problems were still controlling my life.
“I had to go to the toilet so often that I had to literally plan my days around it. I knew I couldn’t be far away from a toilet and the fact I had to get up about five times a night to wee meant my sleep was always broken.
“I knew I had to get something done and I am so glad I met Consultant, Mr John McCabe, who told me all about Aquablation therapy and its benefits. I had the surgery about two months ago and the difference it has made has been life-changing.
“As an example, I took my dog for a 90-minute walk today which would just not have been possible before the operation. I would have had to carefully plan everything so I knew where the toilets were, or I just couldn’t have gone. It sounds like a small thing, but it takes over your life and your mindset but since I have had the operation things have been so much better and I can’t thank the team at Whiston Hospital enough.
“Aquablation Therapy has been an absolute Godsend for me and I am sure it will help so many men with similar problems to me in the future.’’
Aquablation therapy uses high pressure, heat-free, blasts of water to remove tissue from an enlarged prostate. It targets only the necessary areas and ensures the tissue is removed precisely. This leads to fewer side effects than the more traditional procedures such as Transurethral Resection of the Prostate (TURP) that involves cutting away a section of the prostate using heat.
It can also be performed more quickly to treat most shapes and sizes of prostates, enabling same day discharge, which could help treat more patients and reduce waiting lists - offering significant benefits to our under-pressure health system.
The majority of patients will also suffer less pain and fewer complications after surgery when compared against more traditional operations.
Mr John McCabe, Consultant Urologist and Surgical Division Medical Director at Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “I am proud that we can now offer this state-of-the-art robotic treatment to our patients at the Trust.
“Aquablation therapy is a game changer for patients with enlarged prostates and is a fantastic step forward for our patients and the Trust.
“Aquablation therapy uses ultra-sound guided robotic technology to remove unwanted tissue. It is amazingly accurate and takes away only the tissue that needs to be removed.
He added: “We all know the challenges the NHS faces and by harnessing innovative procedures such as Aquablation therapy, and we can reduce waiting times for treatment and make sure the patient gets the treatment they need sooner.
“Importantly the technology is less likely to lead to side effects than comparable treatments, in turn improving patient outcomes and their quality of life and also enables more patients to be sent home the same day, which is also a huge boost for them.’’
To find out more about the procedure, visit www.aquablation.co.uk