“Don’t wait as long as me.” Nigel Batt’s advice to other men who are struggling with Urology problems. Read on to discover how the TURP procedure cured his enlarged prostate which was making it difficult for him to urinate and was disrupting his sleep.

What urology symptoms were you struggling with?

“I’m a retired Chartered Accountant and I live in Sevenoaks with my wife. The biggest problem for me before my surgery was urinating. I had real difficulty going to the toilet because my enlarged prostate was reducing the flow which meant that my bladder wasn’t emptying properly. This in turn, meant I had to go to the toilet more frequently and sometimes urgently.

“The worst part was at night when I’d wake up and need to urinate but when I’d get there, I couldn’t really do anything, so I’d go back to bed and then wake up again – this happened about four times a night. My symptoms were getting worse over time and I’d been to the doctor a couple of years earlier but I wasn’t happy at the prospect of any surgery. I put it off as most men do.

“I was talking to two of my closest friends who had been suffering from similar symptoms and had recently had the trans-urethral Resection of the prostate gland (TURP) operation. They said they’d seen a great improvement in their symptoms which completely changed my mind and inspired me to do something about it.

How did you start your journey with Benenden Hospital?

“When I went to see my doctor there was a long wait in urology via the NHS. My doctor knew I was a member of Benenden Health so referred me to Benenden Hospital for treatment for my enlarged prostate.

“I had my initial consultation with Consultant Urology Surgeon Mr Steve Garnett and he was excellent. He was patient and very professional. Mr Garnett gave me information on the two operations that were available to me and he explained the side effects, the benefits of the operations and what I would experience.

“There was no pressure and I felt very relaxed speaking to him. Overall, the information and guidance I received was very comprehensive.”

Nigel's TURP journey

Nigel Batt’s advice to other men who are struggling with Urology problems.

Nigel's TURP success - video transcript

My name's Nigel Batt. I'm a retired Chartered Accountant. I live in Sevenoaks with my wife. I went to Benenden for treatment for an enlarged prostate, basically.

Why did you choose Benenden Hospital?

When I went to see my doctor, there was a long wait in urology. And, as I was a member of Benenden, and she knew all about Benenden, she recommended that I was referred there.

What symptoms were you experiencing prior to treatment?

The problem was basically urinating. I had difficulty going to the toilet, basically, because the enlarged prostate was reducing the flow. That meant that my bladder wasn't emptying properly. So, I had to go to the toilet more often and sometimes urgently.

But the worst part was during the night, I'd wake up needing to go to the toilet. When I got there, I couldn't really do anything. So I'd go back to bed, and I'd wake up a little while later and I would do this probably four or five times a night, which was a bit stressful.

What made you book your initial appointment?

Well, I was having trouble. My symptoms were getting worse. I'd been to the doctor a couple of years earlier and I wasn't too happy about the possibility of an operation etc. So, I put it off, as a lot of men do.

But I was talking to two of my very close friends, who were having similar symptoms and both of them had recently had a TURP operation very successfully. And that completely changed my mind. So, I decided I really needed to do something about it.

Which Consultant did you see at Benenden Hospital?

I saw Mr Steve Garnett and he was excellent.

Could you tell us about your experience from first consultation to aftercare?

It was very comprehensive. Mr Garnett was excellent. He was patient, very professional. He went through the various options available to me in great detail. He explained the side effects, the benefits of the operation, what I would experience etc.

He then gave me two leaflets for the two operations that were available to me, which explained everything in complete detail, what I was likely to experience. And there was no pressure. I felt very relaxed talking to him.

What was your experience of the staff at Benenden Hospital?

They were excellent. What impressed me was just walking through the door into the reception, meeting the receptionist, very polite, worked very well etc.

I was then escorted up to the ward. I was shown the room I was going to be staying in. The nurses were very professional, and they were kind and considerate. And what was also very impressive was the catering staff and the cleaning staff. I mean, you know, they were polite, everything about it was a very pleasant experience, which is why I actually wrote to the surgeon afterwards to thank him for the professionalism that he and all his staff had shown me.

How did you find the surroundings and environment at Benenden Hospital?

The one thing about Benenden is when you walk in, it's so calm and relaxed. And basically, that says it all to me; if you're going to go to hospital, that is a fantastic place to be.

How are you feeling after treatment?

I never actually was unable to do anything as a result of all this. It was more a question of getting worried about cancer, which way it was going and what I was going to do about it. And I did put it off for a long time.

Having had the operation, I really am so, so much better and I don't have the stress anymore. One of the benefits of having the TURP is that they are able to test the tissue that's taken away from the prostate for any abnormalities and in my case, everything was fine. So, it's a huge sense of relief and my wellbeing now is excellent.

Would you recommend Benenden Hospital and why?

My experience and that of my wife, she's also been treated at Benenden, has been exceptional. I couldn't fault it in any way.

What would your advice be to men with similar urology problems?

Don't wait as long as me. It is something that is worrying when you get older, you worry about cancer, you have your PSA tests and they come back, and they look reasonably ok. But it's not that satisfactory.

But don't wait too long. It's like so many things, the sooner you sooner it's dealt with, the better.

What were your first impressions of Benenden Hospital?

“What impressed me was just walking through the entrance doors of Benenden Hospital to a receptionist who was immediately polite! I was then escorted up to the ward, I was shown the room I was to be staying in, the nurses there were very professional and they were kind and considerate.

“What was also very impressive was the catering and the housekeeping staff, they were polite and efficient too. Everything about my visit was a very pleasant experience which is why I wrote to my Consultant to thank him for the professionalism that he and all the staff had shown me.

“I’m not very fond of hospital’s, like most people, but the one thing about this private hospital is it instantly makes you feel very calm and relaxed and that says it all to me. If you’re going to go to hospital, Benenden Hospital is the best-case scenario and a fantastic environment to be in.

“Fortunately, I was never actually unable to do anything because of my symptoms. It was more a question of getting worried about the possibility of cancer, which way it was going, what I was going to do about it and that’s why I put it off for a long time.”

How has your life improved after your TURP operation?

“Having had the surgery, I really am so much better and I don’t have the stress anymore. One of the many benefits of having the TURP, is that they can test the tissue which is taken away from the prostate for any abnormalities. In my case everything came back fine so it was a huge sense of relief and my wellbeing now is excellent. I sleep very well; I do still wake up in the night sometimes but that is normal for someone of my age.

“I would recommend Benenden Hospital because if you do need an alternative, it’s very affordable and my wife, who has also been treated here, and I have had exceptional experiences. I honestly couldn’t fault it.

“If you need to be seen for a urology problem quickly, I would recommend Benenden Hospital for patients.”

Nigel’s advice to men

“Don’t wait as long as me. It is something which is worrying as you get older, you worry about cancer, you have PSA tests and they come back and look reasonably okay but it’s not that satisfactory. But don’t wait too long, it’s like many things, the sooner it’s dealt with the better.”

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Published on 30 August 2022

Nigel’s TURP operation cured his enlarged prostate