FAQs

Most medical specialists will accept only referred patients. This is mainly to try to ensure that the specialist you are seeing is appropriate for you and your condition. Check with your insurance company to see if a referral is necessary.

Yes, you can self-refer. We don’t require a referral for you to be seen in clinic with AUA.

Yes, all our consultants, Mr Sam Datta, Mr Zafar Maan and Mr Rajiv Pillai are all BUPA authenticated and approved.

You can see a consultant within the week of enquiry (2 weeks max, if the consultant is on call or on annual leave), and procedure wait times are anything from 3-6 weeks, maybe sometimes sooner, all depends on theatre and consultant availability.

Please head straight to A&E where an on-call urologist can help you out, but feel free to enquire with us first.

Watch our video on preparing for a consultation with a urologist – this covers topics such as when and why you should seek medical attention from a urologist through to what you might need to bring with you and how long the appointment might last.

Usually we are able to turn clinic / procedure letters around within the week, from point of dictation to the typing and then being approved. This could sometimes be sooner or if the consultant is away slightly later.

Once the results have been received and reviewed by the consultant the secretary will be in touch to arrange a further follow up with yourself to discuss the results.

Yes, we are turning around surgeries 50% quicker than on the NHS at the moment. (Eg. NHS 6-8 week wait from point of diagnosis to procedure, with us anything upto 3-4 weeks)

Yes, we will pass all your details to Colchester General Hospital to get you booked for your procedure, you will hear directly from them with regards to instructions for any pre-admission (if required), and they will inform you of your procedure date, time and location.

For your initial consultation, you will need to bring a referral letter from your physician if necessary.

Here is a check list for your initial consultation

• Insurance information
• Referral Letter (if required)
• Copies of results, X-rays, MRIs, CT scans etc. and any other relevant information
• List of medications (if any)

We also encourage you to come to your initial consultation with a written list of questions to ensure you don’t forget to ask them when you are seeing the doctor.

Yes we have access to your NHS investigations which can be imported over to your private file.

Your medical file is handled with the utmost respect for your privacy. Our staff is bound by strict confidentiality requirements as a condition of employment regarding your medical records. We will not release the contents of your medical file without your consent.

The post-operative recovery period varies based on the particular surgery. Generally it is recommended that patients take two weeks off work to recover from any surgery and to resume light duty following resumption of work. Your surgeon will give you specific instructions to follow for a successful recovery.

You should wait at least one week before driving after surgery. The effects of anaesthetic and surgery can affect judgment and reflexes during the first week following your surgery. Your surgeon will provide more specifics for your particular situation.

Your doctor will instruct you about post-treatment exercises – the type and the duration to be followed. You may be referred to a physical therapist to help with strengthening and range of motion exercises following surgery.

There will be a point of contact 24 hours a day for any concerns you may have. You will be provided with contact details following your treatment.

Once you and your Doctor decide that surgery will help you, you will need to learn what to expect from the surgery and create a treatment plan for the best results afterward. Preparing mentally and physically for surgery is an important step toward a successful result. Understanding the process and your role in it will help you recover more quickly and have fewer problems.

Working with your doctor

Before surgery, your doctor will perform a complete physical examination to make sure you don’t have any conditions that could interfere with the surgery or the outcomes. Routine tests, such as blood tests and X-rays, are usually performed a week before any major surgery.

• Discuss any medications you are taking with your doctor and your family physician to see which ones you should stop taking before surgery
• Discuss with your doctor about options for preparing for potential blood replacement, includes donating your own blood, medical interventions and other treatments, prior to surgery
• If you are overweight, losing weight before surgery will help decrease the stress you place on your new joint. However, you should not diet during the month before your surgery
• If you are taking aspirin or anti-inflammatory medications or warfarin or any drugs that increase the risk of bleeding you will need to stop taking them one week before surgery to minimize bleeding
• If you smoke, you should stop or cut down to reduce your surgery risks and improve your recovery
• Have any tooth, gum, bladder or bowel problems treated before surgery to reduce the risk of infection later
• Eat a well-balanced diet, supplemented by a daily multivitamin with iron
• Report any infections to your surgeon. Surgery cannot be performed until all infections have cleared up
• Arrange for someone to help out with everyday tasks like cooking, shopping and laundry
• Put items that you use often within easy reach before surgery so you won’t have to reach and bend as often
• Remove all loose carpets and tape down electrical cords to avoid falls
• Make sure you have a stable chair with a firm seat cushion, a firm back and two arms

If you are having day surgery, remember the following:

• Have someone available to take you home, you will not be able to drive for at least 24 hours
• Do not drink or eat anything in the car on the trip home
• The combination of anaesthesia, food, and car motion can quite often cause nausea or vomiting. After arriving home, wait until you are hungry before trying to eat. Begin with a light meal and try to avoid greasy food for the first 24 hours
• Take your pain medicine as directed. Begin the pain medicine as you start getting uncomfortable, but before you are in severe pain. If you wait to take your pain medication until the pain is severe, you will have more difficulty in controlling the pain

We are still able to see all patients face to face in clinic (or over the telephone if preferred). If you went ahead with a booking, you are advised to attend your appointment alone. Under government guidelines, a mask must be worn at all times inside the building where there is a one-way system in place. You will be tested at the main reception to ensure you don’t have any symptoms and then on the basis everything is clear, you are then directed to the waiting area.

Imminently: AUA usually has availability the same week.

As long as you don’t require any examination/s in clinic, by all means, yes you can have a telephone consultation.

£195 for a NEW initial consultation and £140 for follow up consultation (including telephone).

We can give rough estimates for procedures but they are subject to slight changes on actual quotation.

We would do some of the below:

• An MSU test (midstream specimen of the urine)
• PSA blood test (to check for prostate cancer)
• eGFR test (to check the level of your kidney function)
• Flexible cystoscopy procedure (as detailed below, to investigate further)
• Flow rate and residual test (to check your bladder function, measuring the rate at which you are passing urine and what is left behind in the bladder)
• 3/7 dairy – a 3-week diary on your symptoms
• IPSS (international prostate symptom score) – a questionnaire that allows the consultant to understand the severity of your water work symptoms

Common urine-related questions we get include:

• I have numerous urinary tract infections (UTIs).
• I have difficulty passing urine / pain when passing urine.
• I blood in my urine.
• I have become incontinent (inability to control when urinating)

We can book you in for an initial consultation at the cost of £195 which will usually follow onto a small procedure called a Flexible Cystoscopy which is done under local anaesthetic (please note this is a guide and hospital fees can vary between sites. There are currently the additional pre-assessment fees for COVID-19 screening which are approx £200: a personal quotation will be issued should you wish to proceed with the surgery).

Yes, you are welcome to book an appointment with one of our urologists for an initial consultation and assessment at the cost of £195 and they can take things from there.

Yes, you are welcome to book an appointment with one of our urologists for an initial consultation and assessment at the cost of £195 and they can take things from there.

A cystoscopy is a procedure that looks at the balder and other parts of the urinary systems. Your urinary system is made up of kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra. It involves inserting a special tube called a cystoscope, into the urethra and then passing it through the bladder. This type of procedure us generally used to help make a diagnosis or to see if treatment has been successful.

Mr Sam Datta practices from Oaks Hospital, Colchester General Hospital and Springfield Hospital. Mr Zaf Maan and Mr Rajiv Pillai both practice from Oaks Hospital and Colchester General Hospital.

It’s estimated at around £1,600 when this takes place at Colchester General Hospital and around £1,400 at the Oaks Hospital. (Please note this is a guide and hospital fees can vary slightly. There are currently the additional pre-assessment fees for COVID-19 screening which are approx £200, a personal quotation will be issued should you wish to proceed with the surgery).

Yes we do non-scalpel vasectomies. The cost of initial consultation, the vasectomy, sperm analysis and follow up all comes to an estimated total of £2,000 at the Oaks Hospital.

A vasectomy reversal is a procedure carried out under a short general anaesthetic to undo a vasectomy. It reconnects each tube that carries sperm from a testicle into the semen. After a successful vasectomy reversal, sperm are again present in the semen, and you may be able to get your partner pregnant.

A consultation by one of our consultant urologists is required prior to this procedure to guide you through the steps involved. The patient will be placed on a waiting list for a procedure date which we try and achieve within four weeks of your initial consultation. (Due to COVID-19 and the restrictions placed on theatre capacity we are unable to finalise procedure dates and timescales in advance at present but the procedures are going ahead and we endeavour to see each patient as soon as practical).

Fees
1. Initial consultation – £195
2. Procedure (Oaks Hospital – 2020 Guide) – £2,860.
(Please note this is a guide and hospital fees can vary slightly. There are currently the additional pre-assessment fees for COVID-19 screening which are approx £200, a personal quotation will be issued should you wish to proceed with the surgery).
3. Follow up – £140

If you would like to discuss this procedure in further detail or to make an appointment please contact us by telephone 07580307020 or email pas@aua.ltd

Reference guides
www.bupa.co.uk
www.baus.org.uk

Uro Lift is a new minimally invasive treatment for men with urinary symptoms due to minimal- moderate enlargement of the prostate. It is performed from within the urethra and involves pinning back rather than removing the obstructive prostate tissue. It is not suitable for all men with urinary symptoms and is as yet unproven in the treatment of men with urinary retention. Advice from a specialist urologist, such as those in the Anglian Urology Associates, is advised in order to determine whether UroLift might be suitable for you.

HoLEP (Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate) is a minimally invasive surgical treatment for men with any degree of prostate enlargement who have urinary symptoms, and men who are suffering from retention of urine, repeated urine infections or bleeding due to their enlarged prostate. Like urolift, it is performed from within the urethra. A laser is used to remove the area of the prostate that is causing the problem. Costs are approximately around £5,000 -£7500 (dependent on size and where you have the operation) (Please note this is a guide and hospital fees can vary slightly. There are currently the additional pre-assessment fees for COVID-19 screening which are approx £200, a personal quotation will be issued should you wish to proceed with the surgery).

TURP (Transurethral resection of the prostate) is also an effective procedure to treat men with benign enlargement of the prostate and this is also offered by Anglian Urology Associates. It is a procedure that has been performed for the last 50 years. TURP is the traditional treatment which involves scraping away the part of the prostate tissue which is causing a blockage using an electric current. Bipolar (a different type of current) TURP has been a recent enhancement of the procedure

Unfortunately under 18s are not covered at the Oaks Hospital. We do have the option that Mr Sam Datta practices from Springfield Hospital in Chelmsford where he can see under 18s.

Unfortunately, AUA is not covered by insurance to carry out circumcision procedures on children or babies. We can only do circumcisions for medical reasons.