NEWS
West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine
busier urology practices . Four hospitals in the country were selected to receive the robotic aquablation system , which has been recognized by the American Urological Association as a standard of care option for minimally invasive surgical treatment for the prostate . Its low side effect profile and long-term success rate make it technology urologists hope to have .
“ We ’ ve had this for five months , and today we will top more than 30 patients who have been treated with aquablation . I ’ m keeping live data to compare it with other surgical procedures I perform and that are performed across the country to keep track of how patients are doing post-op and the side effect profile ,” Payne said . “ In surgery , what matters are the side effects and long-term retreatment rate . In terms of acute complications , we ’ re just not seeing those like we have with other procedures .”
WVSOM Alumna First Urologist to Bring High-Tech Prostate Treatment to Area
Urologist L . Faith Payne , DO , FACOS , a West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine ( WVSOM ) 2007 graduate , is one of the few physicians who have been able to get their hands on medical equipment that reduces not only operating time but also recovery time and side effects .
The technology is called aquablation therapy and uses a real-time , ultrasound-guided , robotic-assisted and heat-free waterjet to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia , also known as enlarged prostate — a health issue that is common as men age . It combines ultrasound imaging with a thin camera called a cystoscope to allow surgeons to see the entire prostate as they target the tissue to be removed .
Payne practices at Raleigh General Hospital in Beckley , WV , and is the only urologist in the southeastern part of the state who has the nearly $ 1 million equipment at her surgical fingertips . She ’ s been utilizing it in her operating room since the beginning of summer and said it significantly reduces time spent in the operating room .
“ I just did a procedure on a patient with 160 grams of prostate and the total ablation time was nine minutes ,” Payne said . “ This would traditionally take well over an hour using the traditional TURP , or transurethral resection of the prostate , method . The amount of time a patient is under anesthesia is significantly reduced . It ’ s good for the patient , and it ’ s also good for the surgeon and the OR team because we can be more efficient .”
Payne and Raleigh General Hospital were identified by LifePoint — a nationwide healthcare network focused on implementing cutting-edge ideas , partnerships , and technology — as one of the
Another benefit compared to other procedures is that it can be performed on larger prostates . In the past , a TURP procedure has proven to be the most effective for treating an enlarged prostate , but patients can experience side effects like retrograde ejaculation , when fluid goes into the bladder instead of out of the penis during an orgasm .
Payne said patients have shown successful results .
“ I had a handful of patients who could not void prior to surgery who had catheters and now they are spontaneously voiding . We don ’ t see a high level of urgency and frequency like we do with other procedures . With such little heat being used , the irritation is significantly reduced ,” she said .
Securing the Technology
While many hospitals budget for high-priced medical equipment , they may not always be able to secure it . Receiving it for free can be a physician ’ s dream . Once the equipment was secured , Payne began training so she could incorporate it during surgery .
Brian Hinson , a senior aquablation sales representative with Procept BioRobotics , ensures surgeons are familiar with aquablation technology during surgical procedures and supports patient education . He said Payne is an example of a surgeon who has maximized the benefits of using the technology and has devoted time in getting it to Raleigh General Hospital .
“ Dr . Payne has invested a lot of time upfront . She flew to New York and did a case observation with one of our key opinion leaders and watched about five cases . She spent two hours going through online learning modules so she could better understand the technology . She also spent two days in the operating room performing hands-on training so when it came to the first patient she performed this procedure on , it wasn ’ t the first time she touched the equipment ,” he said .
28 • www . wvsma . org