More than 250 patients have benefited from unique treatment to remove kidney stones at the QMC and City Hospital.
Nottingham University Hospitals (NUH) runs both the QMC and City Hospital and was the first Trust in the country to trial and offer a new way of removing kidney stones.
The procedure that NUH offers is called ‘mini percutaneous nephrolithotomy’ (PCNL) which is a form of keyhole surgery involving as little incision into the body as possible.
Jaimee Simpson, 39, from Annesley Woodhouse had the procedure in 2015 after being diagnosed with kidney stones a year earlier.
You get your life back much quicker
She said: “Before my operations, the pain I felt was so debilitating that my quality of life was greatly diminished but thanks to the amazing care and support I now have my life back.
“The benefit of the procedure is very significant as you can get your normal life back much quicker and spend less time in hospital.
“That time is invaluable to me, as you want to get back to work, enjoy time with your family and get on with life.”
Consultant Urological Surgeon at NUH Sharon Scriven believes using small equipment is beneficial to both the hospital and patients.
She said: “Traditionally the removal of these stones involved inserting a large telescope into the kidney from the loin and breaking it up which often caused a lot of bleeding and damage to the kidney.
“Using much smaller equipment and without having to make large incisions in the skin means patients now have a shorter hospital stay and are at less risk from damage.
“Kidney stones are becoming much more common due to a change in our diets and diabetes and can cause permanent damage if they are left untreated.”
Trials are now underway at NUH using even smaller equipment.
