pre-op for TURP – 08-Feb-2017 – 14:30hrs. Royal Gwent Urology Dept.

Hi,

well that was very straightforward!

I arrived very early as the management of the Royal Gwent leaves much to be desired, most noticeably on the issue of parking! For over a year now the car park at the hospital has been a building site where they have been building a really ugly structure that looks for all the world like porta cabins faced with tedious red brick with defacing paterns in a yellowy coloured brick – to replace the porta cabins that have housed A&E for years.

There is now virtually no parking at the Royal Gwent rendering the hospital even more dysfunctional than control of the Trust has increasingly been under5 the aegis of the National Ass. for Wales! (so aptly named).

I was fotunate and found space at my regular side street parking (sorry no clues 😉

Arriving at the urology department I popped in to see a few ‘old friends’ staff who have been providing me with excellent treatment for almost 20 years now, yes there are a few who have been in that department that long including two nurse practitioners Maureen and Janet.

I was fortunate to bump into Adam Carter my Consultant, who I last saw in June last year when we discussed the advisability of my having a TURP (Trans Urithral Resection of the Prostate)

and he decided this should be scheduled as urgent! The aim being not to remove the prostate gland, which should be about the size of a walnut, but in many older men (& yes I have reached that stage!) the prostate becomes enlarged. Thus the aim is to cut away (resection) part of the gland to reduce its size as it can cause difficulty in urinating but also causes increased fgrequency, poor flow and urgency! We had a somewhat woefull laugh at the state of the service under the National Ass. for Wales’ management such that urgent had finally brought me in 7 months later for my pre op.!

Once again Teresa carried out my pre op. with the normal range of urine test, questions, swabs of mouth, nose and groin to check for any infections, blood test, normal obs. (weight, blood pressure, Oxygen levels, pulse rate, temperature etc.) + a detailed check on my all too dodgey heart and finally an ECG.

I was pronounced fit to join Adam Carter’s list for surgery but with the proviso that my results were cleared by my Cardiologist and the Anasthetic Department was aware and appointed a suitable consultant anethetist to manage any problems that might develope during the procedure – including, I pressume, the detail that my heart might stop!

The normal procedure in the Gwent Urology Department is that on the next working day, Bridget who is responsible for scheduling and the battle with the bed management department in the hospital phones and lets you know when and where to turn up to be sliced and diced!

Because of the checks with other departments it was not until the following Thursday that she was able to alocate a ‘slot’.

I am now due in at 10:30hrs. on Thursday the 23-Feb-2017 showered (no creams or talcs. etc) having had nothing to eat and only a small amount of plain water to drink that day – I will be on Adam Carter’s list for operation that afternoon and since I have to have a full anasthetic I will be in, at least, overnight!

I would normally have had this op. on an epidural block where they inser a needle into the lower spine and anethatise the nerve serving the body from there down – however as I am on blood thinners to cope with my heart and the absence of a Right Coronary Artery a needle in the spine can cause a bleed that could result in paralysis, if not worse!

My urology consultant would rather I stopped taking the blood thinners but my cardiologist rather ruefully points out that I can continue to function with a hugely enlarged prostate and a dodgey bladder but I wont last much over a few minutes without a hear!

All rather a simple decision, but it does make my surgeon’s job a little harder and calls for a consultant anethetist!

Somewhat like Arnie – ‘I will be back’ with details after the op. I may even have some diagrams but I promise no photos!

Think of Lee on Thursday for whilst I’m sleeping my way through the whole procedure she will, yet again, be concerned about the outcome!

Regards,
Greg_L-W.