New procedure at Alexandra Hospital makes diagnosing prostate cancer easier and safer

New procedure at Alexandra Hospital makes diagnosing prostate cancer easier and safer image New procedure at Alexandra Hospital makes diagnosing prostate cancer easier and safer

Home » News » New procedure at Alexandra Hospital makes diagnosing prostate cancer easier and safer

 

Monday 8 August 2022

Men in Worcestershire with suspected prostate cancer are benefiting from a safer and more accurate diagnostic procedure now being performed at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.

The Urology Department at Alexandra Hospital in Redditch is now able to perform Local Anaesthetic Transperineal Prostate (LATP) biopsies following an extensive staff training programme.

The LATP technique has been shown to offer more accurate detection of prostate cancer – which is the most common form of cancer in men – as well as improved safety by significantly reducing the risk of infection for patients.

Studies have found the diagnostic procedure to be less uncomfortable for patients than alternative techniques, with no need for a prolonged course of antibiotics afterwards. The technique is much quicker to complete than previous procedures and is easier to target specific areas of concern.

The Urology team underwent extensive training on the new technique in collaboration with Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospitals in London and the West Midlands Cancer Alliance. The department has also recruited a new Urology Consultant to the team, Mr Will Gallagher, who has previous experience with LATP.

The new diagnostic procedure is in addition to the work currently taking place at Alexandra Hospital to allow for state-of-the-art robotic surgery to take place. Once the work is complete, the first procedure to be offered will be robot-assisted prostate surgery for men with prostate cancer.

For patients who are able to have it, Robotic Assisted Radical Prostatectomy (RARP) can offer improved outcomes, less pain, shorter stays in hospital and quicker recovery for patients with prostate cancer. Clinicians aim to begin providing robotic surgery at the Alexandra Hospital later this year. The surgical robot will be a further addition to the range of high-quality surgical services already provided at the hospital for patients from across Worcestershire and beyond.

Consultant Urological Surgeon, Mr Paul Rajjayabun said: “This new addition to our diagnostic portfolio will ensure that we maintain our position as one of the leading centres in the UK for the diagnosis and management of Urological disease.

“Developing new services through the challenges of the Covid pandemic has meant that we had to re-double our efforts to make LATP available for our patients. But with the implementation of this revolutionary biopsy technique and the imminent arrival of Robotic Assisted Prostatectomy at the Alexandra Hospital, we are in a position to offer state-of-the-art ‘end-to-end’ care for men with prostate cancer.”