Retired firefighter Robert Rea thought he was ‘going to die’ after contracting a urinary tract infection (UTI) whilst trying to manage symptoms of an enlarged prostate.
The 61-year-old’s health issues started in 2016 when he was decorating with his son, and noticed an urgency to pass urine. He then visited his GP and had a prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test that revealed slightly elevated results, indicating there was an issue with his prostate.
His doctor sent him for an ultrasound and biopsy at Royal Berkshire Hospital, where it was confirmed that he was suffering from benign prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) or an enlarged prostate.
However, as the condition was manageable, Rob returned to work in Dubai, where he was managing a suite of firefighter programmes for a Middle Eastern civil defence fire and rescue service. He decided to use herbal supplements and dietary changes such as eating fresh pomegranate and drinking watermelon juice to help ease the condition. His PSA levels were regularly checked every six months, and whilst the homeopathic approach supported Rob initially, it wasn’t long before the need to pass urine extremely frequently set in.
"I was in America for work, and I noticed that I couldn’t drink one pint without having to pee at least three times. Frankly, it was horrendous. When I returned home to Reading, I visited my GP again, and by this point I had stopped taking any supplementary tablets, so I could understand my true PSA baseline.“The GP referred me to Mr Chis Blick, a consultant urologist at Royal Berkshire Hospital, for further tests, which showed I had 450ml residual volume after emptying my bladder, and my PSA levels had risen significantly."
As a result, Rob underwent an MRI and ultrasound, and was urgently referred for catheterisation, due to the fact that he was retaining up to a litre of fluid.
He said: “I thought it would be simple draining of the bladder then removal of the catheter, so I would be able to fly back to the US for work. What I didn’t realise was that the catheter would be left in, so against medical advice I returned to America to fulfil my contract obligations as a consultant with a disaster management facility. You can imagine the questions I had trying to get through US airport security with a catheter fitted. I chose not to wear a leg bag during the day and just use the valve when I needed to pee.
Despite feeling dehumanised and humiliated as a result of the catheter, it did allow me to enjoy an interrupted sleep for the first time in years
However, Rob lived an uncomfortable six months with a catheter whilst working in America, and when he returned to the UK, he discovered he had a urinary tract infection. The pain I had was incredible. I thought I was going to die. I’d never felt so ill in my life. I was given two courses of antibiotics and was laid flat on the couch for 10 days straight. My body was just rejecting everything.
Once I’d recovered, I tried self-catheterisation 3 to 4 times a day, and when I could not physically get the catheter in, I was admitted into hospital and catheterised under anaesthetic.” Rob was advised to undergo the holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) procedure, although Rob noted that the side-effects can result in retrograde (dry) ejaculation problems.“I wasn’t prepared to risk emasculation – the mental impact was too much, so I did my research and I came across Aquablation therapy. I mentioned this to the urologist, and was advised that Royal Berkshire Hospital had received funding to carry out a trial.
I had initially undergone a procedure called Prostatic Artery Embolization (PAE), where tiny round beads are injected through the catheter and into the blood vessels that feed the prostate to reduce its blood supply. However, this didn’t work, so when I was referred back to Christopher Blick for Aquablation therapy, the team were really keen to understand how the two would work.
Aquablation therapy, also known as transurethral water-jet ablation, was developed by Procept BioRobotics, and is a one-of-a-kind treatment that uses a specialised system that combines image guidance and robotics for the targeted heat-free water jet removal of prostate tissue. The robotic technology is used to relieve symptoms for the lower urinary tract caused by BPH.
On Thursday 14 September, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) revealed that Aquablation therapy received their most positive recommendation, extending its availability to tens of thousands more men on the NHS and across the UK looking to address the crippling side effects of BPH.
Rob's procedure finally took place on 16th January 2023.
"I was uncomfortable for a day or two, but after that, it was absolute gold. Everything worked better than it did before I started experiencing issues in 2016, I felt like I was peeing like a teenager.“I’ve done nothing but sing the praises of Aquablation therapy, especially as two of my cousins and my brother are also dealing with an enlarged prostate. Both my friend and cousin are now undergoing the same treatment based on my recommendation.
I can get an erection, I can sexually function, I can do sport again – all the things I was able to do before I was fitted with a catheter. It gave me my life back.
Aquablation was appealing because it uses cold water and its robotic so doesn’t allow for any surgeon error – it just made very good sense to me.“I trust Christopher Blick with my life.
Christopher Blick, Consultant Urologist at The Berkshire Independent Hospital, said: “Aquablation therapy represents superior preservation of continence, erectile function and ejaculatory function, whilst ensuring an improvement in lower urinary tract symptoms.
It enables healthcare professionals to treat larger prostates more effectively than transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) and in a shorter time than HoLEP and TURP. The operating times are more consistent, shorter hospital stays are achieved and most importantly, the procedure improves the quality of life for patients..
BPH is one of the worst effected elective backlog issues in the NHS. It effects up to 3 million men in the UK, with more than 30,000 men each year needing surgery for the condition. Some regions have a 2+ year waiting list to be treated. It means that men living with the condition are continually having to be catheterised and admitted to hospital, and administered medication which have severe side effects, all while the prostate continues to grow, limiting their options when it comes to being treated.
Aquablation Therapy at The Berkshire Independent Hospital
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