Preparing for your appointment

A small sample of tissue is taken from the penis under local anaesthetic and sent for analysis. There’s no particular preparation.

Your consultant will explain how to look after the area afterwards, and we’ll tell you when to expect your results.

Removal of the foreskin, under local anaesthetic. Your leaflet covers preparation, recovery and looking after the wound.

A small area of tissue is removed from the penis under local anaesthetic — either to treat it, or to send it for analysis. There’s no particular preparation.

Your consultant will explain how to look after the area afterwards, and we’ll tell you when to expect any results.

A lump or lesion is removed from the testis or scrotum under local anaesthetic — either to treat it, or to send it for analysis. There’s no particular preparation, though close-fitting, supportive underwear for afterwards is worth bringing.

Your consultant will explain how to look after the area afterwards, and we’ll tell you when to expect any results.

A thin, flexible telescope is passed into the bladder so your consultant can look at the bladder lining directly. Local anaesthetic gel is used. Most people describe it as uncomfortable rather than painful, and it takes around five to ten minutes.

You may notice mild stinging when you pass urine for a day or so afterwards — drinking plenty of water helps. Your leaflet has the full details.

Botox is injected into the bladder during a flexible cystoscopy — a thin telescope passed into the bladder under local anaesthetic gel — to treat leakage and reduce urgency.

You don’t need to be able to catheterise yourself to have this.

Occasionally Botox makes it difficult or impossible to pass urine at all. If that happens, go to your nearest emergency department — it needs treating the same day.

Your leaflet has the full details, including how soon it works and how long it lasts.

A flexible cystoscopy — a thin telescope passed into the bladder under local anaesthetic gel — during which your stent (the fine tube placed between the kidney and bladder at an earlier procedure) is removed. It’s quick, and most people describe it as uncomfortable rather than painful.

You may notice mild stinging and a little blood in your urine for a day or so afterwards — drinking plenty of water helps.

A flexible cystoscopy — a thin telescope passed into the bladder under local anaesthetic gel — combined with gentle stretching of a narrowed section of the urethra.

Your leaflet covers preparation and recovery, including whether you might go home with a catheter for a short period.

A small operation to release or lengthen the frenulum, the band of tissue on the underside of the penis. Under local anaesthetic. Your leaflet covers recovery and wound care.

A follow-up appointment is charged at an additional £175.

An injection into the side of the penis, used both as a test and as a treatment for erection problems. Your first appointment usually includes being taught to do it yourself.

If you have an erection that will not go down, this needs urgent medical attention. Go to your nearest emergency department — don’t wait to see if it settles.

Your consultant will give you specific instructions, including the dose and how long an erection should last. Please keep them somewhere you can find them.

A narrowing in the urethra is widened using a balloon coated with medication, which helps stop the narrowing coming back. Done under local anaesthetic.

Please note: Optilume is only covered by AXA, WPA and Healix. Bupa and Aviva do not routinely cover it — you will need to liaise with them directly, or self-fund.

Your leaflet covers preparation and recovery, including whether you’ll go home with a catheter for a short period.

Small samples of prostate tissue are taken through the skin behind the scrotum, guided by ultrasound and usually by an MRI scan you’ve already had.

You don’t need an enema beforehand.

If you take medication that thins your blood, your consultant will tell you whether to stop it and for how long — please see medication and call us as soon as you get your confirmation.

Please bring someone with you who can drive you home afterwards.

A follow-up appointment to go through your results is charged at an additional £175.

Your leaflet covers what to expect afterwards and when to get in touch. Please read it before the day.

An injection of local anaesthetic, sometimes combined with a steroid, placed around the spermatic cord — the structure running from the groin to the testicle — to diagnose the source of testicular or scrotal pain, relieve it, or both. It can be done on one or both sides, and is a short procedure carried out in clinic.

The groin and scrotum may feel numb for some hours afterwards. We’d recommend arranging for someone to drive you home. Your consultant will explain what to expect and when any benefit should appear.

A bulking agent is injected into the bladder neck during a flexible cystoscopy — a thin telescope passed into the bladder under local anaesthetic gel. The injections add volume to the tissue around the bladder neck, helping it close more effectively and reducing leakage when you cough, laugh, sneeze or exercise.

The leaflet below covers preparation, what to expect on the day and recovery. Your consultant will talk through how well it’s likely to work for you and whether it may need repeating in time.

An ultrasound probe is placed into the rectum to measure the size of your prostate. It takes a few minutes and doesn’t need an enema.

A follow-up fee of £175 will also be charged.

A set of tests measuring how your bladder fills and empties, using fine tubes. It takes around an hour.

We usually ask you to come with a comfortably full bladder. This allows us to:

• measure your urinary flow rate before we carry out the urodynamic studies — this involves passing urine into a special machine;
• test a sample of your urine for infection using a dipstick — if there is evidence of infection, we may postpone your procedure for a week or two and give you a course of antibiotics to take home.

Your leaflet explains the tests in full — please read it beforehand.

The tubes carrying sperm are cut and sealed, under local anaesthetic. Your visit will take about an hour — you’ll meet your consultant, have the opportunity to ask any last-minute questions, and then have the procedure.

You should:

• arrange for someone to attend the appointment with you so that they can drive you home;
• plan to take it easy for a couple of days afterwards.

A vasectomy doesn’t work straight away. Until you are told that your semen sample is clear, you should continue to use another form of contraception.

Your semen sample is analysed four months after the procedure by AccuLabs Diagnostics UK Ltd, who will contact you directly when your sample is due and provide you with all the instructions. The cost of this semen analysis is included in the procedure cost.

Your leaflet covers recovery, time off work, and what to do if you have any problems afterwards.

A medication is put directly into your bladder through a catheter, and you’ll be asked to hold it there for a while before passing urine. Your nurse will tell you how long on the day.

Usually there’s no preparation. Most of our blood tests can be taken at any time of day, whether or not you’ve eaten.

Fasting is only needed for testosterone, lipids and glucose, and only if your consultant has specifically asked for those to be done fasting. If you need to fast, we’ll tell you when you book — so if nobody has mentioned it, you don’t need to.

If you are fasting: take your usual medication as normal, and drink water only until the test.

A simple saliva sample is taken during your clinic visit. There’s no preparation needed.

Your genetic risk score is then calculated using established markers associated with prostate or breast cancer risk, depending on which screening you are booked for.

You sit fully clothed on the Emsella chair, which uses electromagnetic pulses to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. A session is around thirty minutes. There’s no recovery time — you can drive and go straight back to normal activity.

Emsella isn’t suitable for everyone. Before you start a course, you’ll have an assessment appointment to check it’s right for you, and our nursing team then carries out the sessions themselves.

This is a blood test, but it also includes a stool sample. Please remember to bring your stool sample to your appointment — it should be produced on the day of your appointment, before coming to the clinic.

The stool sample needs to be provided in a specific sample pot supplied by the clinic. You can either collect the pot from the clinic or have it posted to you.

If this hasn’t already been arranged at the point of booking, please call us on the number in your confirmation email to discuss.

A blood test measuring prostate-specific antigen. No fasting is needed.

A few things can nudge the result upwards, so for the most reliable reading: avoid ejaculation and vigorous exercise — especially cycling — for 48 hours beforehand, and tell us if you’ve recently had a urine infection or a catheter, as it may be better to delay the test.

STIMVIA PTNS is an effective, non-invasive treatment used to manage symptoms of bladder dysfunction. It works by regulating bladder function through targeted stimulation. Each session is performed in the comfort of the clinic and typically lasts between 30 and 60 minutes.

A key benefit of this specific system is that it is needle-free. We use two probes placed behind the knee to deliver the treatment, ensuring a more comfortable experience for you.

Before your appointment:

• Safety check — if you are pregnant or have a pacemaker, please contact the clinic immediately. We cannot carry out PTNS treatment under these circumstances.
• Clothing — for ease of access to the area behind your knee, we recommend wearing shorts to your appointment.
• Preparation — you do not need to arrive with a full bladder for this treatment.

You’ll provide a fresh midstream urine sample on the day, so please arrive able to pass urine — a glass of water beforehand helps.

You can either drop the sample off and be informed of the results at a later date, or you can wait at the clinic for the test results, which takes around 30–40 minutes.

We will provide the pot in which you produce your sample, sent to you by post. We don’t have facilities for you to produce a sample on site.

Please ensure:

• you use the pot provided by The Forbury Clinic;
• you abstain from ejaculation for three to five days before producing your sample;
• the sample is not exposed to hot or cold temperatures;
• you write the time the sample was produced on the pot;
• you get the sample to the clinic within 45 minutes of it being produced.

Label the pot with your full name and date of birth as well.

Once your results are in, you’ll need an appointment with our specialist Andrologist for a comprehensive clinical assessment, if you haven’t already been seen. The consultation is £250 — or £175, charged as a follow-up, if you’ve been seen before.

A course of low-intensity shockwave treatment for erectile dysfunction, given once a week. Erectile dysfunction is common — it affects up to one in four younger men, and up to half of men over fifty. Alongside the established options of oral medication, injections and surgery, shockwave treatment takes a different approach: it focuses on regenerating blood vessels and smooth muscle. It’s the subject of many large-scale trials, and at The Forbury Clinic we are pioneering the shockwave protocol for erectile dysfunction.

Availability and cost. Shockwave therapy is available through WPA and Vitality insurance, or on a self-funding basis. If you’re insured, please ask your insurer to authorise an initial appointment and the treatment, quoting procedure code N2740. If you’re self-funding, the total package price for six shockwave sessions and the initial appointment is £2,000; for twelve sessions it is £4,000, including your initial appointment.

Your initial assessment. The pre-shockwave assessment includes a thorough questionnaire. Your consultant will explain the treatment in detail, its benefits and its risks, and set an individualised protocol — deciding the intensity, duration and length of treatment, typically six or twelve sessions.

What the treatment involves. Shocks are applied to both sides of the penis, including the perineal part. The energy level is set by your consultant’s protocol, monitored at each session, and can be reduced if you experience discomfort — although this is rare.

Are there any risks? The risks reported are minimal and will be discussed with you at your initial assessment. If you take blood-thinning medication, please make sure your consultant knows, as this can result in bruising — see medication.

We will provide the pot in which you produce your sample, sent to you by post. We don’t have facilities for you to produce a sample on site.

Please ensure:

• you use the pot provided by The Forbury Clinic;
• you abstain from ejaculation for three to five days before producing your sample;
• the entirety of the sample is collected, and any spillage is recorded on the test request form;
• the sample is kept at body temperature — for example in a shirt or trouser pocket — in an upright position;
• you write the time the sample was produced on the pot, along with your full name and date of birth;
• you get the sample to the clinic within 45 minutes of it being produced.

Learning to catheterise yourself (intermittent self-catheterisation). One of our nurses will teach you, in private and at your own pace. It takes around thirty minutes, and it’s worth wearing clothing that’s easy to adjust.

Most people find this much more straightforward than they expect. If it doesn’t suit you, that’s fine — it isn’t the only option and we’ll find something that works.

Please remember to arrive well hydrated for the appointment.

Your catheter is removed and we then check whether you can pass urine normally again. That means monitoring you afterwards, so please plan for this taking most of the day and bring something to occupy yourself.

If the trial doesn’t work — which does happen and isn’t a setback in your treatment — we’ll either put a catheter back in, or teach you to catheterise yourself at home if that suits you better. We’ll talk it through with you on the day.

• Any letters, scan reports or test results about your urology care — including anything from your GP or another hospital.
• A list of the medication you take, with doses. A repeat prescription slip or a photo of the packaging is fine.
• Your insurance membership number and pre-authorisation code, if you’re using private medical insurance.
• Photo identification if this is your first visit.

Yes — a partner, relative or friend is welcome. For some procedures we’d recommend bringing someone, particularly if you may not be able to drive afterwards. Where that applies, it’s noted under the procedure above.

A chaperone is available for any examination or procedure, and you can ask for one at any point — you don’t need to explain why. For some intimate examinations a chaperone is present as standard.

If you’d prefer a chaperone of a particular gender, tell a member of the team and we’ll do our best to arrange it.

Ten minutes before your appointment time, so we can get you registered. If we need you earlier than that, we’ll tell you when you book.

Call us as soon as you know, on the number in your confirmation email. Depending on how late you are and how full the clinic is, we may still be able to see you — and if not, we can rearrange there and then. We’d always rather hear from you than have you arrive unsure.

Parking arrangements vary a little between our sites — your confirmation email has the details for the clinic you’re attending. Please allow a little extra time in case the car park is busy.

Our sites are accessible. If there’s anything that would make your visit easier — a reasonable adjustment of any kind — please let us know before your appointment so we can have it ready rather than arranging it on the day.

Yes, and there’s no charge to you. We use an external interpreting service, so please tell us as early as you can. If we can’t arrange an interpreter in time for your appointment, we’ll book you a separate appointment when one is available rather than going ahead without.

This depends on the test and which laboratory is processing it, so we can’t give one figure that covers everything.

Our medical secretaries can give you an accurate timescale for your particular test — call us on the number in your confirmation email.

• Any letters, scan reports or test results about your urology care — including anything from your GP or another hospital.
• A list of the medication you take, with doses. A repeat prescription slip or a photo of the packaging is fine.
• Your insurance membership number and pre-authorisation code, if you’re using private medical insurance.
• Photo identification if this is your first visit.

You pass urine into a machine that measures how quickly and how completely your bladder empties. It’s private, takes a couple of minutes, and is no different from using a normal toilet.

An ultrasound scan of your bladder, usually done straight after a flow rate test to check how much urine is left behind. Gel goes on your lower abdomen and a small handheld probe is moved across the skin. It’s painless and takes a few minutes.

There may be an additional cost for a flow rate test, bladder scan or flexible cystoscopy done during your consultation.

Your consultant will discuss this with you at the time, before anything goes ahead. Nothing will be done without your agreement.

If you’re using private medical insurance, it’s worth checking with your insurer beforehand which tests your policy covers — this varies a lot between policies. Our self-pay prices are in our terms and conditions.

Your consultant will call you on the number we hold for you. Please make sure you’re somewhere quiet where you can talk freely, and that your phone isn’t on silent.

Clinics can run ahead or behind, so your consultant may call a little earlier or later than the time on your confirmation. Please allow some flexibility either side.

There’s a link in your confirmation email. Click it at your appointment time and you’ll join your consultant directly — nothing to download or install.

• Join a few minutes early to check your camera and microphone.
• Find somewhere quiet and private where you won’t be interrupted.
• Have any test results or letters to hand.

If the connection fails, call us on the number in your confirmation email and we’ll get you reconnected or arrange for your consultant to phone you instead.

Don’t stop or change any medication unless your consultant or GP has told you to. Stopping a blood thinner on your own can be dangerous.

Please call us on the number in your confirmation email as soon as you get it, and we’ll check with your consultant what applies to you. Some procedures need blood thinners stopped beforehand and some don’t.

Blood-thinning medication includes aspirin, clopidogrel, warfarin, apixaban, rivaroxaban, edoxaban and dabigatran, among others. Aspirin counts even at a low dose. If you’re not sure whether something you take is a blood thinner, call us and we’ll check — it’s a very common question.

Yes, unless you’ve been told otherwise. That includes if you’re fasting for a blood test — take your medication as normal with water.

That depends on the procedure and on your own circumstances, so it’s a decision your consultant makes rather than a standard rule. If you need antibiotics, your consultant will prescribe them before your procedure and tell you when to take them.

Tell us when you book, and tell the team again when you arrive. Please include allergies to medication, latex, iodine, dressings and anaesthetic.

These take place at a hospital rather than at our clinic. The hospital will contact you directly with your admission details, including where to report and what time to arrive.

Almost certainly yes, and the hospital will tell you exactly when. Please follow their instructions rather than anything general you read elsewhere — it varies depending on your procedure and what time you’re admitted.

The hospital — admission times, fasting, what to bring, parking there.

Us, on the number in your confirmation email — your procedure itself, your medication, your consultant, or anything you’re unsure who to ask about.

Not on the day. We ask everyone for card details, either when you book or when you arrive, but no payment is taken at your appointment.

Afterwards we confirm with your consultant what was actually done, and an invoice is then issued for anything beyond your consultation.

There may be an additional cost for tests or treatment carried out on the day — a flow rate test, bladder scan or flexible cystoscopy, for example.

Your consultant will discuss this with you at the time, before anything goes ahead. Nothing will be done without your agreement.

Please have your membership number and pre-authorisation code ready.

It’s worth checking with your insurer before your appointment which tests and treatments your policy covers, as this varies considerably between policies. Anything your insurer doesn’t cover will be invoiced to you directly.

Your surgeon’s fee is charged by The Forbury Clinic and will appear on your invoice as Berkshire Health Limited. Any hospital fees are billed to you separately by the hospital.

Use the cancellation link in your confirmation email, or call us on the number in that email.

We’d much rather you told us you can’t make it than simply didn’t arrive — it means we can offer the appointment to someone else who’s waiting.

Cancelling within 24 hours of your appointment, or not attending, may incur a £100 fee.

If something has happened that made it impossible to let us know, please tell us — we look at these individually.