Mr James Michael Adshead
MA, MD, FRCS(Eng), FRCS(Urol)
Consultant Urological Robotic Surgeon and Clinical Director
Lister Hospital East and North Herts NHS Trust and Spire Harpenden Hospital
British Association of Urologists Oncology section
Professional Profile
Mr Jim Adshead was recently listed as one of the Best Surgeons to see for prostate cancer treatments in the country. This was published in a recent Daily mail article in May 2018 (Meet the best Urologists). The accolade was voted for by 260 professional urologists who were asked who they would go to if a family member were to need prostate cancer treatment.
Mr Jim Adshead qualified at Cambridge University and moved into a London training scheme. He completed a six year training programme in urology in the West London teaching hospitals and gained valuable experience in urological cancer and minimally invasive access during a laparoscopic fellowship year in Sydney, Australia.
Currently appointed as a Consultant at The Lister Hospital, Stevenage for 10 years. Jim has produced national guidelines in consenting for urological surgery.
His specialist interests include the management of prostate cancer including Modern diagnosis with MRI targeted biopsies and transperineal prostate biopsy.
Mr Adshead has performed Da Vinci Robotic prostatectomy since 2009 and been involved in >1000 prostatectomy cases overall.
He pioneered NeuroSAFE nerve-sparing technique in the UK with 78% of patients getting erections back sufficient for intercourse in a recent paper.
He also performs Robotic Pyeloplasty, Robotic Partial Nephrectomy >400 cases.
Jim has a large experience in laparoscopic nephrectomy as well as the laser treatment of stones. He also performs microscopic vasectomy reversal ( approaching 90% success rate at a recent audit) and also covers the majority of general adult urology.
Teaching surgery is one of Jim’s greatest pleasures and he is a National Proctor teaching Robotic urology around the country. He has mentored over 20 UK consultants to help deliver robotic cancer surgery across the NHS.
He is currently Director of the Royal College of Surgeons Fellowship training scheme for robotic urology which was the first to be recognised by the Royal College of Surgeons of England in November 2012.
He has trained five Fellows so far , all of who have become robotic consultants in their own right.
https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/education-and-exams/accre...
In selected prostate cancers it is possible to spare the erection nerves by dissecting in a plane close to the prostate called the “Veil of Aphrodite”. Jim has introduced a nerve sparing technique to the Uk as the first centre to offer NeuroSAFE to improve the chances of regaining erections after robotic prostatectomy without compromising the cancer margin.
Jim has published and presented widely and sits on the Executive committee of the Oncology section at the British Association of Urological Surgeons.
Further online publications by Jim Adshead can be fount at www.scopus.com.
Specialist Procedures
Microscopic Vasectomy Reversal
Mr Jim Adshead has been performing vasectomy reversal microscopically for 10 years having with an overall success rate of 87%. Find out more.
Robotic Partial Nephrectomy
Mr Adshead has performed over 400 Robotic Partial Nephrectomies and is recognised as a leading expert in this operation.
He has taught and mentored many consultant surgeons around the country and helped to spread this technology across the NHS.
Robotic Prostatectomy with the NeuroSAFE
Mr Adshead has performed over 1000 radical prostatectomies having introduced the technique to the UK. So far Lister is the only UK unit to offer this on the table frozen section while the patient is still asleep.
Testimonials
"Mr Adshead was calm, knowledgeable, articulate and displayed a deep understanding both of his subject and of my needs. Mr Adshead's calmness was reassuring, his discussion of the issues gave me absolute confidence that I was in the best hands and left me calm and able to consider the issues unemotionally, without undue worry."
"Mr Adshead is a dedicated, professional and caring surgeon. The same can be said of his team."
"First class. The treatment has been a great success and made a massive difference to my life. An excellent choice of Consultant."
"Mr Adshead, excellent manner, excellent communicator of facts and treatments, overall top bloke"
"In what could be quite embarrassing circumstances his bedside manner was absolutely perfect"
"My Consultant was Mr. Adshead. Mr. Adshead is someone that instantly makes a good impression when you first meet him. And first impressions count a lot! He is friendly, polite, confident, caring, intelligent and extremely well informed without being clever, condescending or showy. His brilliance shines through understatement and his confidence through his natural upbeat smiling face. He is a very natural conversationalist listening carefully and then responding appropriately. I personally enjoyed my time talking to him - sharing wider thoughts, ideas and personal information both ways about our families and health. I have recently met with several consultants and Mr. Adshead shines out as a model of how to communicate and conduct oneself in a one to one professional medical consultation. His advice to me was clear, concise and didn't beat around the bush. When I asked him tricky questions about my recovery and the chances of things going badly, he didn't offer me guarantees but suggested things would be alright for me. I was delighted to have met Mr. Adshead and to have him as my consultant and surgeon. I would have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone who might be facing a similar procedure. Finally, I don't think it a coincidence that I only heard positive comments about him from everyone else who asked me who my consultant was at the hospital. They all said the same thing - You’re in good hands with Mr. Adshead , Mr Adshead is a wonderful chap etc.... This was my first operation since I was 4 years old (now 63). I was not looking forward to it at all, but tentatively went ahead thinking it would be a terrible experience. It wasn't at all, indeed I am a better person for having been through the experience"
