NHS Fife is first in Scotland to offer pioneering prostate treatment

Medics at Dunfermline's Queen Margaret Hospital are carrying out procedures as an outpatient appointment without the need for general anaesthetic.

The development is said to improve patient safety and free up valuable operating theatre time for use by other surgical specialities.

Back in 2020, the health board became the first in Scotland to start using a procedure called Rezum in the treatment of patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

The procedure sees small jets of steam injected directly into the prostate to destroy excess tissue, causing the prostate to shrink over a period of a few weeks and help relieve the often debilitating symptoms associated with an enlarged prostate.

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Unlike more traditional surgical procedures for BPH, Rezum takes less than 20 minutes and patients are able to return home shortly after.

Until recently, patients have required a general anaesthetic however the treatment is now being safely performed under local anaesthetic.

The use of local anaesthetic also means the procedure can be carried out as an outpatient appointment within the prostate treatment centre at Queen Margaret Hospital, freeing up valuable operating theatre time for use by other surgical specialities.

Consultant urological surgeon, Feras Al Jaafari, is leading the Rezum programme in Fife.

He explained: “An enlarged prostate is a common problem experienced by men over 50. It can have a real impact on a person’s quality of life by affecting bladder function, disrupting sleep patterns and increasing the likelihood of urinary tract infections.

“The introduction of Rezum in Fife back in 2020 was an important step forward for us in improving our treatment of the condition.

"Not only is Rezum much less invasive than traditional surgical options, but it is also more effective than the medicines used to treat enlarged prostate and doesn’t come with the possible side-effects.

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“Having the ability to carry out the procedure under local anaesthetic takes us a step further in our treatment of enlarged prostate.

"This development is better for patients as it helps reduce the risks associated with general anaesthetic and enables patients to recover more quickly.

Feras Al Jaafari, Consultant Urological Surgeon, and his team during a Rezum procedure. (Image: NHS Fife)

"It also helps us to free-up valuable theatre time at a time when waiting lists for surgery are much longer following the COVID pandemic.”

NHS Fife Medical Director, Dr Christopher McKenna, welcomed the latest innovation.

“We are continually working to make our services as safe as they can possibly be," he said.

"By carrying out procedures under local anaesthetic helps us improve patient safety, while also enables patients to recover more quickly, and often get home sooner, than they otherwise would.

“An added benefit is that the procedure can be safely carried out within our prostate treatment centre, meaning that our operating theatres can be used for other patients to help reduce waiting times across different specialities.

“It is vitally important that we continue to innovate and adapt our services to meet the needs of our population. The unique set-up at Queen Margaret, and our investment in day surgery services there, means that the hospital is at the forefront of these efforts.

"This latest innovation is another example of where our highly skilled and forward-thinking clinical teams are utilising technology to help improve the quality of services we can provide for patients in Fife.”