At the end of January, Roy Clark, 67, a semi-retired roofer and keen skier, originally from the North East, was the first person in Wales to undergo aquablation therapy to treat an uncomfortable enlarged prostate.
Urological and Robotic Surgeon Mr Matthew Jeffries performed the first aquablation procedure in Wales
Roy is the first person in Wales to undergo aquablation therapy and says he feels ‘total relief’ as a result of the procedure at Nuffield Health Cardiff and Vale Hospitals and would wholeheartedly recommend aquablation and his surgeon Mr Matthew Jeffries.
For a few years before, physically active Roy had an enlarged prostate. Things came to a head at the end of November 2024, when he was having difficulty passing urine. On a trip ‘back home to see the lads’ in December, he had to go to Casualty in the North East and have a catheter fitted in order to be able to drain the fluid build-up and was told to return to his local hospital in Bridgend the following week to have the temporary catheter removed. However, he was told couldn’t get a slot until January for the removal and became so ill, feeling very rough by Christmas Eve, that he had to attend as an emergency on Christmas Day. Fortuitously he saw Consultant Urological and Robotic Surgeon Mr Matthew Jeffries, who removed the bag and fitted a new one, whilst explaining his treatment options, including the new robotic technique.
No stranger to the Vale Hospital, Roy had experienced orthopaedic care there a few months prior to this second series of visits. The first time it was treatment for a pelvic fracture due to a skiing injury, with Hip specialist Mr Stephen Jones, which is now all fully resolved.
In early January 2025, Roy went to see Mr Jeffries privately, as a self-pay patient at Nuffield Health’s Vale Hospital, this time for robotic aquablation, enhanced by advanced computer software and imaging. Booked in the same month, he was the first patient there ever to undergo the innovative aquablation therapy, a minimally invasive heat-free water-jet procedure to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). In the meantime, between consultation and his op, he bravely went ahead with a ski trip to Austria, with his catheter in place!
Following discharge after the procedure, he has been absolutely fine and is totally fixed. Annually in the UK, three million men are impacted by BPH and 30,000 require surgery.
Roy Clark cannot speak highly enough of the Nuffield Health team, saying, “They are all absolutely brilliant; you can have a laugh with all the nurses and doctors and they really put you at ease. For the aquablation, I had a general anaesthetic and, as the first ever patient in Wales, agreed that the procedure could be filmed for medical training purposes. Apparently there was quite an audience, including a doctor over from Germany! I was only in overnight, the relief was instant, and I was able to be discharged after breakfast, once the fluids had been flushed through. Mr Jeffries is a marvellous fella, who explained the full process to me, so I knew what to expect. I am so grateful to him and for the new robotic procedure which precisely targets and removes the excess prostate tissue. No more catheters nor excessively frequent loo trips needed now and I can properly get on with enjoying life and focus on being properly semi-retired!”
Aquablation explained
Benign Prostate Hyperplasia (BPH) affects up to 3 million men in the UK each year.
* Research shows 1 in 2 men aged between 51-60 report they have BPH
* Aquablation therapy is an innovative and effective robotically-executed procedure that removes prostate tissue using the power of heat-free water
* Patient-reported outcomes show improved symptoms and quality of life as a result of advanced treatment
About Nuffield Health
Nuffield Health has been dedicated to building a healthier nation for over 65 years, They are now at the forefront of providing exceptional healthcare and fitness support through our network of 37 hospitals and 110 fitness and wellbeing centres.
They work together as a team to help you achieve your health and wellbeing ambitions, championing free health and wellbeing programmes in local communities by giving more people the tools they need to live a healthy life. These programmes help people understand and improve their own health, from those living with joint pain, to helping rehabilitate people experiencing the long-term effects from COVID-19.
Nuffield health
Find out more about Nuffield’s pioneering models of care at www.nuffieldhealth.com
Or follow on LinkedIn
…
