BECKLEY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – L. Faith Payne, D.O., FACOS, a urologist and 2007 graduate from the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, is the first to bring the high-tech prostate treatment – aquablation therapy – to the area.
The technology is said to reduce both operating and recovery time, and utilizes a real-time, ultrasound guided, robotic-assisted, and heat-free waterjet function as treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia – often referred to as an enlarged prostate.
The treatment utilizes ultrasound imaging in conjunction with a thin camera known as a cytoscope to allow surgeons to observe the entire prostate as tissue is targeted for removal.
Payne practices at Beckley’s Raleigh General Hospital as the only urologist in the southeastern region of the country with access to the nearly one-million-dollar equipment, which she has been implementing in the operating room since summer. The technology, Payne says, substantially decreases time in the operating room.
“I just did a procedure on a patient with 160 grams of prostate and the total ablation time was 9 minutes,” said Payne. “This would traditionally take well over an hour using the traditional TRUP [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.”
Nationwide health care network, LifePoint identified Payne and Raleigh General Hospital to receive one of only four robot aquablation systems to be distributed throughout the country.
“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 stated. “In surgery, what matters are the side effects and long-term retreatment rate. In terms of rate complications, we’re just not seeing those like we have with other procedures.”
