HAMPSHIRE Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has become the first trust in Britain to carry out an exciting new procedure that could improve the lives of thousands of men.

And an Alton man, Morris Hopkins, pictured, was the first patient to benefit from the treatment.

Rezum is a new treatment for the common problem of enlargement of the prostate, which can cause men a number of issues. Rezum injects small amounts of steam directly into the prostate, killing some of the benign tissue. The gland then shrinks as it repairs itself, relieving men of symptoms caused by any enlargement.

The treatment can be carried out under local anaesthetic and has less impact on quality of life than the conventional alternatives.

Hampshire Hospitals consultant urologist Richard Hindley recently became the first surgeon in Britain to carry out a Rezum procedure and is excited about the opportunities that the treatment presents.

He said: “I am delighted that we are now able to offer men in Hampshire this treatment, which can ease the problems caused by an enlarged prostate quickly and with few side effects.”

Mr Morris Hopkins said:

“I wasn’t ill. There was no cancer. Mr prostate was benign. In fact I was feeling extremely fit – except that I was getting up too

frequently during the night (to urinate), often three to four times.

“Consequently my GP in Alton referred me to Mr Handley who told me my problem was benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), an enlargement of the prostate gland experienced by up to 90 per cent of men, like me, over the age of 80.

“This enlargement adversely affects the flow of urine from the bladder. However, the good news was a new treatment, called Rezum, recently pioneered in America and proven successful.

“This innovative procedure was about to be launched in the UK and the launching pad was to be Basingstoke. Was I willing to take part in this bold enterprise?

“The answer was “yes!”

Mr Hopkins was one of five men to undergo the treatment on March 30, and he was the first into the operating theatre: “I was the first man in the UK to undergo this ‘new wave’ in BPH treatment” – and proud of it. Mr Hopkins added: “Even though a general anaesthetic was required, we were in and out of hospital in one day.

“The care we received was excellent. One could sense the pride of the

pioneers launching Rezum.”

Fast forward to June 20 and another visit to the Urology Clinic at Basingstoke to see Mr Handley. Mr Hopkins then had to report that, although there had been some reduction in his nocturnal trips to the loo, the benefit of Rezum appeared to be slow in manifesting itself. However, a scan that day revealed there had been a significant 20 per cent reduction in the targeted prostate tissue. The message was that while the treatment would take time to do its job, it was working and Mr Hopkins remains optimistic about its potential for long-term benefit.