Richard Barnes

For quite a while my GP had been monitoring my PSA level and while it wasn’t at a worrying stage, it was gradually increasing. I decided to have a look on the internet to see what I could do to reduce PSA but when I had my next PSA test, the level was still increasing. It was still at a reading that didn’t set alarm bells ringing so my GP gave me the option of continuing to monitor my PSA with regular blood tests or he offered to refer me to Urology at the local hospital for a biopsy. Given that nothing seemed to work in reducing my PSA. I decided to grasp the nettle and agreed to the referral.

 

The trick with prostate cancer is to get it diagnosed and treated early and given my PSA level wasn’t too high, I thought better sooner than later.

 

The biopsy, under just a local anaesthetic wasn’t much fun but the Urology team were very good at reducing my discomfort as best they could.

 

The results were ominous. I was only 62, but I had come to the conclusion that I would live my life to the full and when my number is up, take whatever comes my way. I had heard stories about prostate operations causing incontinence and impotence and I knew I didn’t want to go through that. Being divorced, ensuring my adult son would be financially secure with a good future was my only concern. So strangely perhaps, I didn’t feel much emotion and I would resign myself to fate. The urology consultant warned me that the possible side effects of advancing prostate cancer are very unpleasant. I was still dubious and as he did not have the robotic operation facilities to undertake the surgery himself, he suggested he referred me to The Stokes Centre for Urology at Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford for a chat with the experts there. It was an excellent idea and I will always be grateful to both him and my GP for their advice.

 

I consider myself fortunate to have been referred to Consultant Surgeon Dr Wissam Abou-Chedid. I liked his matter of fact approach and he was forthright in telling me what would be best for a man of my age. I became convinced to take the plunge and have my prostate removed after he reassured me of the low statistical levels of incontinence and impotence.

 

So on May 9^th, 2023 I was admitted to Royal Surrey County Hospital as a day patient and underwent a “Retzius-sparing, bilateral nerve-preserving, robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy.” Please don’t be deterred by the long title of the procedure; basically it is a fancy way of describing getting rid of your prostate whilst keeping all the other important bits intact and functional.

 

How can such a day/operation be an enjoyable experience? It was. Everyone was knowledgeable, efficient, helpful and keen to make my stay a pleasant one. The operation went well and during recovery, Mr Abou-Chedid, although a very busy man, visited me in the afternoon and spent a long time walking round the ward with me, to ensure I was in no discomfort and well enough for discharge.

 

Post op was a breeze. The whole experience was excellent, from speaking with the medical staff on the phone (and yes they do get back to you when you leave a message) through to after care. Managing my catheter was something I soon got used to. Then came the time to remove the catheter; you’d think this would require medical/nursing expertise and a visit to the hospital wouldn’t you? Nope. The team provides a video to show you what to do yourself; I found the procedure easy and surprisingly satisfying to do such a task.

 

So here I am a year on and still being monitored to ensure the cancer was completely removed by undergoing PSA blood tests every so often. So far so good.

 

So in conclusion, I had excellent medical advice, I am glad I took action early and I consider myself very lucky indeed to have been a patient at Royal Surrey’s Stokes Centre for Urology. My advice to any man reading this is to (i) act early (ii) ask your GP for a referral to Royal Surrey’s Stokes Centre for Urology in Guildford. Excellent.