Urology patients to benefit from same-day surgery at Shropshire hospital

Patients who come under the care of the Midland Centre for Spinal Injuries (MCSI) – part of The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital (RJAH) – can be in and out of hospital, without the need for an overnight stay.

Hannah Richards, the urology sister at the Oswestry-based hospital, said: “Thanks to a new and devoted space in our Menzies Unit, we’re now able to carry out procedures and surgery three days a week on patients.

“A spinal cord injury can interrupt communication between the brain and the nerves in the spinal cord that control the bladder and bowel function, causing incontinence.

“We’re now able to carry out day case urodynamic tests once a week and dedicated cystoscopy lists twice a week.”

An urodynamic test looks at how well the bladder works and a cystoscopy is a procedure to look inside the bladder using a thin camera to diagnose, monitor and treat conditions that affect the bladder.

Joy Chowdhury, consultant surgeon in spinal injuries and rehabilitation medicine, alongside a visiting consultant surgeon from The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, carry out surgery on patients who need intervention.

Rebecca Warren, MCSI ward manager, said: “Many spinal cord injury patients will live with a urology condition, so having the support from our team with the management and education of these issues is really beneficial.

“Having the capacity and staff to carry out these procedures as day cases is a huge advantage to us and our patients.

“It means we have more beds on MCSI that can be used for our patients who are in the acute phase of their injury or are undergoing rehabilitation; and for our patients, it allows them to be in and out of hospital within a day.”