An Ellesmere Port grandfather returned to the golf course just two weeks after undergoing a new procedure to relieve the symptoms of an enlarged prostate.
Alan Miller, 69, was keen to end the cycle of sleepless nights caused by benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) which forced him to urinate more frequently. But he wanted to limit any disruption to his weekly round of golf.
Alan was delighted to find out that a new minimally-invasive procedure at the Countess of Chester Hospital was able to relieve his symptoms without requiring an in-patient stay.
“I can go out now and not worry,” Alan said. “Most people don’t like going to hospital so to be able to have it and go home was great.”
For the past 14 years Alan has played golf with the Chester Heart Support Group every Monday at Pryors Hayes Golf Club near Chester.
The retired engineer started to notice his symptoms during the night and when playing 18 holes or going out for a meal with his wife Carole became problematic.
“It wasn’t very nice really,” Alan added. “You were afraid if you were going anywhere and the first thing you’d look for is the nearest toilet before you settled down for anything.”
BPH, which is age-related enlargement of the prostate gland, was causing Alan’s symptoms by preventing his bladder from fully emptying and forcing him to relieve himself more than normal.
Previously this would have been treated by removing part of the prostate in a procedure that would require a general anaesthetic but a history of heart troubles would have made that more complicated for Alan.
Instead urology consultant Ninaad Awsare recommended Urolift which could be done under a local anaesthetic at the Countess’s Jubilee Day Surgery Centre.
The procedure involves a delivery device being inserted through the urethra before jettisoning implants into the enlarged prostate that hold it open like curtains on a window to create a clearer pathway for urine to flow.
Depending on certain prostates it might not be available for everyone with BPH but for those who are suitable it is life changing, with no cutting or catheter required.
Mr Awsare said: “It’s wonderful to hear how well Alan is doing. It’s really satisfying because you want to improve a patient’s quality of life with minimal intrusion and Urolift does just that.
“For patients like Alan, who might not be medically fit enough to undergo other procedures, it’s a great outcome. From the trust’s perspective it also saves in-patient beds and I think it’s a win-win for everybody.”
Alan arrived for his procedure at 8.24am and was able to go home at 4.15pm on the same day. The estimated theatre time for the procedure is 25 minutes.
A hospital admissions related to BPH involves an average length of stay of nine and a half days.
