A 67-year-old retired electrical engineer from West Oxfordshire has described how robot-assisted surgery transformed his life after years of suffering from an enlarged prostate that forced him to urinate up to 18 times a day.
Mark Oliver, from Long Hanborough, first noticed symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) around 2016. His prostate had grown to 'the size of an orange', causing interrupted sleep, frequent toilet visits, and involuntary bladder leakage that required him to wear incontinence pads.
Medication offered only marginal relief, and his condition worsened to the point where he used the toilet a dozen times during the day and up to six times at night. The struggle took a heavy toll on his mental health, leading to depression and anxiety, and he avoided socialising.
After waiting years for a conventional TURP procedure, Mr Oliver was offered aquablation therapy in November 2024. The minimally-invasive, robot-guided procedure uses a high-pressure water jet to remove excess prostate tissue. He underwent the two-hour surgery at The Manor Hospital in Oxford, an NHS-funded treatment at a Nuffield Health facility.
Recovery was painful initially, but within a year his condition significantly improved. He now uses the toilet just two or three times a day, a dramatic reduction from 18. 'When I explain to people how big the improvement is – if normal activity in going to the loo is 100%, I was down to having probably 10% control,' he said.
The most profound change has been his renewed confidence. He recently socialised with friends, an activity he would have avoided before the procedure. Aquablation therapy is now available in 13 NHS hospitals and nine Nuffield Health facilities across the UK.
