Excellent consultant who explains things very well, is competent and always remembers tge small details.

I have the fullest confidence in Mr Cahill with regard to all aspects of my care

Where to start ? Well, I am going to start at the end, so that those with limited time get the punch line. Declan Cahill and his team, never forget that this is not a one-person band, did a great job for me. To be fair, Declan always mentions the team, sometimes as if they did all the work. No surgeon dealing with cancer patients has an easy role. Complicated surgery comes with high levels of anxiety and emotion. Declan's job is to try and get across to the patient that he is very good at what he does without sounding over confident and giving a patient a 100% guarantee. When I went into the operating theatre, I knew I had chosen the right person for the job. Sitting here now, I can confirm that my convictions were not misplaced. I was going to write about my journey but feel it would be better to write about my concerns and how these panned out. These are in a particular order, because at the time they were my biggest worries. Would I be incontinent for the rest of my life ? Would I never be able to be too far from a toilet ? Would I constantly be wearing Tena Pads ? My catheter was removed after 3 weeks. I had to have it for an extra week than expected because when I had the pressure test, they identified a small leak. Speaking to Declan, this was no great issue and he apologised that I had to have the inconvenience for one more week. Going off piste a bit, I had all sorts of thoughts about the pressure test and walking into the room with all the ultrasound equipment was quite daunting. It was simple, they just pushed some liquid into the bladder and looked at the images. There was very little sensation and it was over inside 10 minutes. One thing I need not have worried about. Back to bladder control. Since the operation I have never had an accident at night and sometimes go the whole night without getting up for a pee. During the day when I start getting the feeling of needing a pee, I should go, don't leave it too long. When I do go it empties very quickly, maybe because there is only one valve control now ? After nine weeks I still slip a Tena Pad into the underwear if I am going out for a day or the theatre. It gives me peace of mind but mostly unnecessary. There are some movements that do cause a drip, literally a drip, reaching behind to lift something and a few others. I can live with this. A lot was made of constipation. The importance of the first poo and how nothing should be forced, as it could put a lot of pressure on the stiches in that region. I was prescribed movicol and I also made sure I had plenty of prune juice (not from concentrate) in the cupboard. I had read about people waiting three or four days, I was off and running 🤨 from day one. In fact, on day two, I achieved 3 times the recommended dose so came off the prune juice. No need to have worried but difficult not to. Erectile disfunction, would I ever be a proper man again ? Nerve sparing would appear to be the key here and Declan was able to save them all. I have achieved erections but not as strong yet as they used to be. I have not taken any blue pills yet so that could help. The bottom line is, I still can function. It is all well and good to be a little blasé 9 weeks down the road but if we were born with two prostrates and I had to have the second removed, then the above would probably still be of some concern. However, Declan would again be the man for the job. The surgeon does all the work while you are asleep, at that stage there is nothing to say or do. What is important is the confidence and reassurance you get prior to that sleep. The nether region is something not easily discussed. Joked about with your mates over a few pints in the pub maybe but erectile disfunction, leakage and Tena Pads are all topics left well alone. Declan has my details, so if anyone would like to get in touch to talk things through with a fellow prostrater, please feel free. I had a prostrate buddy and his support was incredible and something I would highly recommend. When picking your surgeon there are quite a few to choose from and they are all there to do their absolute best but in all walks of life there will always be those who stand out in a crowd. Always nice to finish in a light hearted way so I will do a Checkatrade review on Declan and his team. Only problem was I could not find one for surgeons so had to adapt. One star meaning poor and five stars meaning excellent Was the plumber courteous and responsive to all enquiries 5 STARS Did the plumber explain all possibilities and remedies 5 STARS How precise was the plumbers work 5 STARS Did the plumber engage you in polite conversation n/a I was asleep Was the downpipe satisfactorily repaired 5 STARS A big thank you to Declan and his team and good luck to all those on the same journey I had. Keith

My experience could not have been better. The explanation Mr Cahill gave me was clear and he even organised a consultation for me with a leading professor of oncology so that I could consider an alternative to surgery. His manner was excellent throughout.

All aspects of the treatment were clearly explained including the pre-operation preparation requirements, the procedure itself and the post-operation recovery and rehabilitation. Mr Cahill has a calm, friendly and reassuring manner which helped me greatly as his patient.

Mr Carhill and his team were brilliant from the outset. Professional, courteous, reassuring and with an appropriate drop of humour, it was the little touches that really stood out for me. For example, Declan calling my partner himself to let her know I was out of surgery was greatly appreciated. The aftercare put in place has felt robust, all in all a smooth experience from start to finish which was a relief given the seriousness of my condition. A fantastic team, I would highly recommend. MB

Very clear in his explanation of the surgery process.

An excellent professional consultant who is both direct and compassionate which is so refreshing, a very safe pair of hands.

Everything explained very well and always felt in good care.

I arrived at surgery with Declan Cahill after meeting him for a second opinion during what had been a particularly stressful situation in determining the best course of action for me. I was swayed to choose surgery with Declan for two main reasons. Firstly, the Royal Marsden is widely considered to be the premier cancer hospital in the UK and Declan, as Head of Urology, with a specialism in prostate surgery at this premier hospital, is clearly at the very top of his profession. His statistical data and outcomes support this. These facts mean that as a patient choosing surgery with Declan you also get the benefit of the Urology team from the Marsden, all of whom are equally expert. Secondly, Declan has a really exceptional ‘bedside manner’. Given the sheer volume of prostatectomies that he has carried out in his career, unsurprisingly he is very authoritative and knowledgeable, but also incredibly understanding of the kinds of fears and concerns that I as a patient had. His manner is very understanding and sympathetic, helpful and indeed kind, whilst at the same time he is able to give clear and direct messages with a smile. He must be incredibly busy, but my experience was that when he was dealing with me he certainly made me feel that my wellbeing was the most important thing to him. He also took time to call me the night before the operation to offer reassurance and also called my wife soon after the operation. This made a huge difference to us. Declan has a natural ability to put patients at ease as well as the ability to explain everything clearly. Declan’s colleagues are an important part of the package. Dr Nettie Kinsella Uro-Oncology Nurse Consultant has a similarly very reassuring and expert approach and this made it really very easy to talk about some potentially quite embarrassing issues. All I can say is follow her advice to the absolute letter and do the pelvic floor and core exercises that you are given pre and post op, religiously, it will pay off for you in terms of outcomes. Similarly Dr Nathan Kasivisvanathan, Head of Anaesthesia was really superb - clear in his explanations and very patient focussed. He really went out of his way to be helpful. Nobody wants to go through this experience, but if you have to, you want the best and in my experience Declan (and his entire team) fit that description