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Mr Mark Harris

Mr Harris is a urological surgeon with a sub-specialty interest in endourology and benign prostate enlargement (BPE).

MBChB FRSC (urology) MRCS MD (Bristol)

Training and education

  • Medicine, Bristol University.
  • Basic surgical training, South West (Taunton and Bristol).
  • Doctor of medicine (MD) research under supervision of Mark Speakman (British Association of Urological Surgeons president).
  • Higher surgical training, Wessex.

Experience

After comprehensive urological training in the region, Mr Harris was appointed as a locum consultant in February 2012. During this period, he was integral in developing and providing routine Saturday operating to reduce patient waits for urological operations. This led to improvements in the service, including establishing bladder cancer procedures as day case operations safely, along with ensuring the routine use of Mitomycin chemotherapy into the bladder to reduce disease recurrence.  

In 2013, he was appointed as a substantive consultant, principally to develop the benign service. As lead consultant for the cystoscopy service, he works with an expert team who provide camera examinations of the urinary system, urodynamics tests, bladder instillations for benign and malignant bladder conditions, detailed symptom assessment and minor operations, ensuring an excellent patient experience.  

His main interests are in benign prostate disorders, stone disease, non-muscle invasive bladder cancer and general urology. He also supports the laparoscopic (keyhole) kidney service. He is changing the prostate service to enable more tailored and minimally invasive options for men in the future. This includes working with radiology colleagues providing prostate artery embolization (PAE).

Key achievements

  • British Association of Urological Surgeons Endourology executive committee (surgical representative), 2011–13.
  • Regular reviewer for Urology News, British Medical Journal (BMJ) and European Journal of Surgical Oncology (EJSO).

Research

Mr Harris's doctor of medicine (MD) thesis was on the psychological effect on men of prostate cancer investigations.

He's also investigator for the:

  • UK ROPE trial comparing prostate artery embolization (PAE) and TURP
  • PHOTO trial looking at the role of blue light in bladder cancer diagnosis 
  • PROMiS trial examining the role of focal HIFU in localised prostate cancer

Selected publications

  • Prostate artery embolization (PAE) for benign prostate enlargement. Somani, Hacking, Bryant, Coyne, Flowers, Harris, Dyer. BJUI Feb 2014, epub.
  • Prostate artery embolization for benign prostate enlargement: prospective short term outcomes from a university teaching hospital. Coyne, Flowers, Dyer, Somani, Harris, Bryant, Hacking. Urology 2014, 84, 4 (S1), S224.
  • Using prostate artery embolization in BPH. Flowers, Bryant, Coyne, Dyer, Somani, Harris, Hacking. Hospital Healthcare Europe, 2014, Radiology and imaging, 263-5.
  • Key papers for the FRCS Urol: Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia. Cetti, Singh, Harris.  Urology News, Nov/Dec 2008. “Spontaneous intratesticular haemorrhage-a diagnostic dilemma” Salloum, Harris, Hayes. BJMSU July 2011, 4 (4) 177-9.
  • Extended-spectrum Beta-Lactamases: will they be the new ‘Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus?. BJU International, Jan 2008, 101 (2), 151-2. Hicks, Harris, Keoghane.
  • Gland volume in the assessment of prostatic disease: does size matter?. BJU International, Sep 2007, 100 (3), 506-9. Harris, Harding, Bates, Speakman.
  • Nephrostomy in Obstructive Uropathy: How should hormone resistant patients be managed and can we predict who will benefit?. Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases, Jan 2006, 9 (1) 42-4. Harris and Speakman.
  • Surgical treatment of varicose veins: effect of rationing. Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons England, Jan 2006, 88 (1) 37-39. Harris, Davies, Brown, Jones, Eyers, Chester.

Selected presentations

  • Non-interventional radiology options for BPE-surgical and medical. Podium presentation at CIRSE conference, Glasgow, Sep 2014. “Prostate artery embolization is inferior to TURP”. Podium presentation, CIRSE conference, Glasgow, September 2014.
  • Radiation dose considerations and the methods of dose reduction in prostate artery embolization for benign prostatic hypertrophy: experience from the first UK trial. Poster presentation at CIRSE conference, Glasgow, September 2014, (Flowers).
  • Prostate artery embolization (PAE) for bladder outflow obstruction: results of the first UK prospective study. Podium presentation at BAUS Annual meeting, Liverpool 2014, (Dyer).
  • Should stones be the new Cancer? Role of the MDT. Podium presentation at BAUS Endourology meeting, Cambridge 2014.
  • Blood transfusion, embolization and nephrectomy following PCNL - a series of 568 patients. Poster presentation at EAU meeting, Paris, 2012.
  • The vascular complications of PCNL; a contemporary series. Poster presentation at BAUS Endourology meeting, Aberdeen, 2012.
  • Best of BAUS, at BAUS Annual meeting. Podium presentation on behalf of the endourology section, 2010.
  • “PCA3: improving the detection of prostate cancer in those with an elevated PSA and a history of negative biopsies”. Presentation at SURG meeting, Liverpool, 2009.     
  • Double-cuff artificial urinary sphincters: the gold standard device in managing sphincter weakness incontinence?. First prize presentation at the Travelling Surgical Society, Salisbury, 2007.
  • Prostate volume measurement in the investigation of prostate cancer: does size matter? Presentation at the SURG meeting, Southampton, 2006.
  • Is a negative prostate biopsy result a positive outcome? Poster presentation at EAU meeting, Paris, 2006.
  • To do or not to do: nephrostomy in obstructive uropathy. Does hormone status matter and can we predict who may benefit? Poster presentation at EAU meeting, Paris, 2006.
  • Prostate volume measurement in the investigation of prostate cancer: does size matter? Poster presentation at BPG/BAUS meeting, London, 2006.
  • Negative prostate biopsy result: time to reassure or reassess? Presentation at BPG meeting, London, 2006.
  • To do or not to do? Nephrostomy in obstructive uropathy: does hormone status matter and can we predict who may benefit? Poster presentation at BPG meeting, London, 2006.
  • TRUS biopsy for suspected prostate cancer: how reassuring is a negative result? Presentation at SURG meeting, Birmingham and also at the SIU meeting in Patagonia, 2005.
  • Rationing of referrals for varicose veins: its effect on surgical workload. Presentation at Assoc. of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland, Glasgow, 2005.