A HASSOCKS pensioner has told how a new prostate procedure newly available on the NHS in Sussex lets him live life to the full again.

Peter Oliveros, 79, from Hassocks, is a clay pigeon shooting instructor at South Down Gun Club and a keen hiking enthusiast.

Around seven years ago, Peter went to his GP because he was going to the loo so often.

Although Peter wasn’t formally diagnosed at this stage, the tablets prescribed by his GP work to ease symptoms of an enlarged prostate by relaxing muscles in the prostate and bladder.

Peter, who describes himself as “the typical male who doesn’t like going to the doctor” experienced no side effects from his tablets – but they didn’t work for him very well either.

“Earlier this year, it dawned on me that I really needed to sort out my bladder problems so I went back to see my doctor and he checked me out in the surgery and told me I have an enlarged prostate.

“I was thinking of asking him to prescribe another type of medication, but he told me about a new type of surgery available on the NHS which is very good because there’s no cutting or removal of prostate tissue.

“I didn’t want that so I chose the UroLift® System procedure.”

Peter was referred to a urologist at Haywards Heath Hospital where he had more tests to check his suitability for UroLift.

“The nurse who came to see me while I was waiting to go in, explained what UroLift involves, and outlined the difference between what I was having and more traditional operations which cut away the prostate to make the opening larger – apparently one of the operations involves shaving away the prostate down inside.

“She said: even though UroLift is a new operation, we feel this is a much better way to do it because it uses permanent implants to lift and hold the enlarged tissue out of the way so it no longer blocks the urethra.

“It’s also so much better because you usually go home without a catheter – or antibiotics to deal with potential urinary tract infections, that commonly result from having a catheter in.

“I had a local anaesthetic and I also felt very relaxed and didn’t know anything about the procedure and I don’t remember it.

“The next thing I knew, I was in the recovery room and Lorna was there. Mr Al Singary came to see me.

“He told me that he’d increased the urethra opening by 50% so it was a complete success.”

Despite a degree of discomfort for the next two days when he went to the loo, Peter says this gradually disappeared until after about four days there was no unusual feeling at all, and since then, his urinary problems have entirely disappeared.

“It makes a hell of a difference, it’s life changing. I am getting the proper amount of sleep, I feel completely relaxed, I am cured.

“It’s amazing that after seven years on tablets which did nothing; one UroLift treatment which took less than one day has totally changed my life.

“I can go to Lewes and have a pint, and not to have to stop at all. I think I have got up in the night twice at most, instead of 7-8 times.”