Innovative new tech for Albany Day Hospital brings treatments to the region

Albany urological patients no longer have to travel to Perth for treatment with Albany Day Hospital now home to new equipment.

The equipment will allow more procedures to be done locally, including two recent innovations, the transperineal prostate biopsy and the UroLift System.

Albany’s Jim Seymour was the first local resident to benefit from the new UroLift at the ADH — having the first UroLift System procedure in regional WA.

Mr Seymour has suffered from urine retention due to an enlarged prostate for five years, before undergoing the UroLift last month.

He said he had been on medication to help with the issue for more than a year.

The UroLift was previously only offered in the metropolitan area, but an HBF partnership brought the technology to the Great Southern.

Mr Seymour said being able to have the procedure done in Albany made a big difference, saving money and time.

“My wife dropped me off and picked me up that afternoon — it is easy,” he said. “Wednesday I had the procedure, I had Thursday off and Friday I was back at work.”

A team of specialists from Perth Urology Clinic are travelling to Albany every four weeks to carry out the operations.

Perth Urology Clinic surgeon Dr Matt Brown performed the first transperineal prostate biopsy at the ADH, a procedure which is undertaken when prostate cancer is suspected.

“This is a far more accurate, quicker, comfortable and state-of-the-art procedure than the traditional method with a lower risk of infection,” he said.