Commences 01 October 2024 for 1 year
Department: Guy's & St Thomas' Urology Department
The urology department at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospitals offers post CCT specialist fellowships in several areas. These generally commence in October and last a year, in line with UK specialist registrar positions. The posts are awarded by application form & competitive interview, taking place in March/April of the preceding year, but fellowships can be awarded one or two years in advance. Fellowships have been a part of Guy’s Urology for over 10 years, and they act as a "finishing school" for the most gifted urologists from the UK and abroad.
Guy’s Hospital has performed over 5000 robotic cases - the largest experience in the UK - and performs a wider variety of robotic urology procedures than any other UK centre. We have the longest running robotic UK fellowship programme, having trained over 20 urologists to independent roboticpractice since 2012. Initially conceived and set up by Professor Prokar Dasgupta, the fellowships are now run by Mr Ben Challacombe with all the robotic surgeons helping train our fellows.
We are an Intuitive Surgical epicentre for UK robotic training, and several of our department staff are official robotic mentors. Guy’s Urology is part of the international Vattikuti Robotic surgery framework and has close links with ERUS & the ORSI training centre.
We have three dual-console da Vinci robotic surgery systems (Xi, x2, Si) with plans for further expansion across multiple specialities. We have six Surgical Care Practitioners who assist at all robotic cases.
As well as robotic surgery for prostate cancer, we also perform a wide range of other robotic procedures including kidney & bladder cancer (see other fellowship entries on this website), pyeloplasty, adrenalectomy, ureterolysis, reconstruction and RPLND.
All robotic fellows take part in our disease-specific, multidisciplinary cancer meetings & clinics, and also play a role in diagnostic urology clinics and procedures. The robotic fellows are also part of the middle grade, on-call rota and will take their turn as SpR of the week (both on a 1 in 12 basis).
Over the course of the year, fellows will be expected to get involved with several research projects as well as the teaching of undergraduate and postgraduate students.
At the end of the fellowship year, it is expected that fellows will be able to complete entire robotic cases independently, without assistance, to a high standard, in preparation for independent practice. The timetable for a robotic fellow would include two or three full days of robotic theatre time.
We have three dual-console da Vinci robotic surgery systems (Xi, x2, Si) with plans for further expansion across multiple specialities. We have six Surgical Care Practitioners who assist at all robotic cases.
This includes a robotic simulator as well as a SEP robotics system in a training laboratory. In addition, we have in place both the da Vinci Si and da Vinci Xi dual console systems allowing simultaneous operating by both mentor and fellow.
Research projects will be undertaken and will be closely monitored by Consultants via monthly departmental audit meetings and weekly tutorial sessions.
Monthly academic meetings will allow close assessment and progress and presentations at National and International Urology Meetings.
Research activities will be carried out during the working week and with some evenings and occasional weekends are required.
Primary Objective of Fellowship
To develop independent Practice in Prostate surgery