Kidney stone patient thanks Basildon Hospital for amazing care ahead of operation on BBC2 Kate Garraway medical series
The TV series Your Body Uncovered with Kate Garraway has been taking patients into their own bodies with cutting edge interactive 3D computer models, and it is now set to feature a patient and consultant from Basildon Hospital.
John Chafer, from Aveley near Grays, was suffering with staghorn kidney stones, and his journey was featured on the programme which saw him – thanks to augmented reality – come face to face with his giant kidney stones, which were in not just one of his kidneys but both.
The programme charts John’s progress, including his kidney stone surgery at Basildon Hospital, where his urological surgeon removed them in a delicate procedure.
John was full of thanks and praise for Basildon Hospital. He said: “I was hugely restricted in what I could do, was tired constantly, but this operation has given me my life back. I’m a changed man, and I really have my consultant and all the staff at Basildon to thank for that. He has been brilliant and given me all the advice and help possible, I can’t thank him enough.”
The consultant who performed the operation is Mr Anil Vohra. He said: “In all, the successful operation took just over three hours. I’m proud of the urology unit at Basildon Hospital, and it is great to see some of the amazing work of Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust be featured on national television, showcasing what we do for patients across the Trust.
“It’s been an honour to play a small part in the first series of this groundbreaking programme and has really helped bring the condition to life, so that more people can understand it.”
The kidney stones were having a big impact on John’s life, as they would keep him up at night and he would spend much of the day sleeping.
John said: “It was a vicious circle, and I was just getting so depressed by the pain, I’ve never known pain like it, so it was having a massive impact on my quality of life.”
Three days after his operation, John felt fine. He was walking and able to move in his chair with no pain and do things that most people take for granted.
John was thrilled by the filming experience and said “it was an amazing experience that blew my mind.” Being part of the programme was made even easier by the calming presence of Kate Garraway, John said: “Kate is a lovely lady, when I first saw my kidney stones, I was very emotional, but she was hugely supportive during filming.”
You can see John’s kidney stone story on Your Body Uncovered with Kate Garraway on BBC2 on Wednesday 30 March, at 8pm. The programme will be available afterwards on BBC iPlayer.