Andy Thomas was named ‘Surgeon of the Year’ at the South Wales Argus Health & Care Awards 2019. Sue Bradley discovers how he’s not resting on his laurels.
CORONAVIRUS has presented urologist Andy Thomas with many challenges, but at the same time enabled him to bring a ground-breaking medical procedure to Wales.
The Surgeon of the Year at the South Wales Argus Health & Care Awards in 2019 diagnoses and treats patients suffering from prostate, bladder and kidney cancers, together with a number of other conditions.
He’s renowned for performing ‘green light laser surgery’, a procedure for which he secured approval from NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence), and inserting balloon spacers prior to ‘proton beam’ therapy.
Now he’s added another new technique to his repertoire after he and a nurse from Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend travelled to Kent to watch and learn from Hige Yamamoto, a consultant urologist who has pioneered a new way of carrying out biopsies on men suspected of suffering from prostate disease.
“The previous method we used carried a three to four per cent chance of sepsis,” Mr Thomas explains. “The new technique, perineal prostate biopsy, is safer with a one in 1,000 risk, but is only offered in a few hospitals in the UK.”
Mr Thomas received funding from Prostate Cymru to learn from Mr Yamamoto. The charity, which he is a co-founder, works to raise money for research and awareness of the symptoms of prostate disease.
“The population is getting older,” he explains. “One in eight Welsh men will get prostate disease – or one in three if there’s a positive family history.
“The prostate is the size of a walnut and our message is for gentlemen to consider their ‘third nut’ and to see a doctor if they suffer symptoms such as needing to get up at night to use the toilet.”
Mr Thomas has specialised in urology for more than 20 years after training in South Wales and Leicester and spending a year in Australia with an expert in prostate disease. He says his job, which involves all aspects of the urinary tract, is interesting and provides plenty of variety.
“I treat prostate, bladder and kidney cancers, three of the seven most common cancers,” says the consultant, who hails from West Wales and can communicate in English and Welsh.
“I love the variety, the technology that makes things safer and quicker, and the fact that I get to know my patients: because of the nature of my speciality, people come back for regular checks.
“I see people from all over Wales and the rest of the UK.”
The year 2020 has been a busy time for Mr Thomas, but not in the way he had expected when he attended the South Wales Argus Health & Care Awards 2019.
“It was nice to be nominated and a bonus to win the best surgeon award,” he laughs. “When lockdown was announced I was actually in Sydney, Australia, about to give six talks to representatives from the medical profession. The event was called off an hour before it was due to go ahead and I had to hot foot it back to the UK.”
Have you been impressed by the care and attention you’ve received from a surgeon? Nominate him or her for a South Wales Argus Health & Care Award by visiting: https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/healthandcareawards
THE sponsor of the ‘Team of the Year’ at the South Wales Argus Health & Care Awards 2020 is Monmouthshire Building Society, which opened its doors for business in January 1869 with the sole purpose of helping local people save and have a place to call home.
Over 150 years later, the Society continues to provide local people with savings and mortgages through a network of 23 branches and agencies in Gwent and beyond.
The Society is a major employer in the area, with around 200 colleagues working across our community locations and Newport Head Office.
Will Carroll CEO of Monmouthshire Building Society
We also support the community through our very own Charitable Foundation, which invites local groups and clubs to apply for funding and sponsorship. The Foundation celebrates its 20th birthday this year and has contributed over £284,000 to more than 450 organisations to date!
Community means a lot to us at the Monmouthshire, so we’re proud to support the South Wales Argus Pride of Gwent Awards. Occasions like these are a fantastic way to celebrate everything that is great about Gwent, alongside recognising the fantastic work groups and individuals do to support their communities. We would like to thank everyone nominated for their hard work and dedication – you’re an inspiration to us all!
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