Royal Surrey performs first prostatectomy as day case
A cancer patient from Guildford has had his prostate surgically removed as a day case for the first time at Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust, in a bid to aid recovery and avoid unnecessary hospital stays.
David Naisby, aged 59, went home on the same day as his operation after surgeons at the Trust used pioneering robotic technology to perform a radical prostatectomy.
Royal Surrey is known as a national leader in the field of robotic surgery, with figures (National Prostate Cancer Audit 2020) showing that it carried out more prostate cancer treatments than anywhere else in the UK.
Patients usually spend at least one night in the Guildford based hospital after undergoing the procedure - still a short time compared to the week-long recovery expected through traditional surgical techniques.
Now, certain patients who live within one hour of the hospital and who are considered ‘low risk’ will be able to go home on the same day if they feel well enough.
Father-of-three Mr Naisby was delighted that he was sent home to recover in his own bed and into the care of wife, Helen.
“I am fortunate that throughout my life I have not spent very much time in hospital, although the thought of it certainly didn’t thrill me,” said the Business Development Director.
“When my surgeon mentioned that I could be discharged the same day I had the procedure I must admit I was excited.
“I trusted him and the team, they just instilled such confidence in me that it would be successful.”
Mr Naisby was referred to Royal Surrey in January this year after undergoing a PSA test, which is a blood test to help detect prostate cancer, at his GP practice.
He underwent the procedure at 9am and by 8pm was recovering at home in Guildford, Surrey.
“There was no pressure on me to go home at all and the team were at pains to explain that if I didn’t feel comfortable they would find me a bed on a ward,” he said.
“They also provided me with emergency numbers, which gave me great trust that I had a support system in place should I need it.
“I am really glad I went home and was able to recover in my own surroundings and I cannot praise the team enough.”
Royal Surrey is now working with Prostate Cancer UK to understand if this is an approach that could be delivered in other Trusts, making day case prostatectomies available for more men across the UK.
Royal Surrey is one of the only single site NHS Trusts in the UK to have four cutting edge robots, with three dedicated to performing surgery and one to help with training.
Surgeons at the hospital based in Guildford, Surrey, have been performing robotically assisted procedures for more than a decade.
The cutting edge machines allow surgeons to use a control console to manoeuvre the robots arms, whilst using a minimally invasive approach, also known as keyhole surgery.
As a result, patients benefit from a shorter hospital stay, quicker recovery, reduced blood loss and discomfort post-surgery and much more.
Before the introduction of the robots patients would have had to undergo full open surgery to have their prostate removed.
Wissam Abou Chedid, a Consultant Surgeon, who is leading the same day discharge robotic prostatectomy program, said: “Using the robots means that patients are days ahead in their recovery compared to people who have had full open surgery because they do not have the trauma of a large incision in their abdomen and their organs moved about.
“We know from research that patients recover far quicker in familiar surroundings, so I am delighted that for some low risk patients, who live within an hour radius of the hospital, we will now be able to safely discharge them home the same day as they have surgery.
“If a patient is not ready to go home, then they will stay with us. In order to be discharged they still have to meet the same criteria, including pain management, and if they don’t feel comfortable there will always be an in-patient bed available for them.”
Photo above shows: Maria Innes (Clinical Nurse Specialist), Helen Casson (Clinical Nurse Specialist), Mr Abou Chedid (Consultant), David Naisby (patient), Mr Matthew Perry (Consultant).