Reduced waits for some KGH patients thanks to new biopsy method

Kettering General Hospital’s Urology Team celebrates the launch of a new procedure at the hospital which will offer prostate transperineal biopsy under local anaesthetic and in an outpatients’ clinic reducing anxious waiting times for patients.

Many KGH patients with suspected prostate cancer will have less of an anxious wait thanks to a new biopsy method.

The hospital has launched a new way of carrying out prostate biopsies to improve care and reduce waiting and treatment times.

On March 9 consultant urologist Roland England and the urology team carried out the first local anaesthetic transperineal biopsy (LATP) at the hospital.

This is a procedure where biopsy samples are taken through the perineum using a needle guide and needle.

Kettering General Hospital’s clinical lead for urology, David Payne, said: “The advantage for the patient is that they can have the procedure quickly, under local anaesthetic, in about 30 minutes and then go home the same day.

“The alternative under general anaesthetic involves booking a theatre slot which can lead to longer waits at an anxious time for the patient.

“It is also simpler than the alternatives, which either involve the same procedure under general anaesthetic, or biopsy via the rectum - the latter carrying a greater risk of infection.”

The first procedure was carried out in a theatre setting with a plan for them to be available for suitable patients in outpatient clinics.

KGH’s urology cancer pathway programme lead Gill Schram said: “Over time we anticipate being able to do 90 per cent of this type of biopsy in this way, which will represent approximately 300 cases per year.

“LATP enables us carry out this crucial test in less time than the same procedure under general anaesthetic, enables the team to see more patients and through this reduce patient waiting times.

“For patients it means less of an anxious wait to find out if they do or don’t have cancer.”