Dr Nigel Hacking
Specialist in Treating Women with Fibroids and Men with Prostate Conditions
Dr Nigel Hacking has the largest experience to date in the UK in PAE with over 400 cases performed by early 2021. Spire Southampton Hospital, as part of an on-going study, set up the first private PAE service in the UK and from 2018 Dr Hacking set up PAE services in London at the Wellington and Princess Grace Hospitals, working with the Prostate Centre and other Independent Urology Groups.
Treatment of prostate problems
Prostate Artery Embolisation (PAE) was first described in 2000, but gained popularity in 2010. Dr Hacking led the first pilot studies in the English speaking world and was the UK clinical lead for the vital work of the multicentre UK Registry of Prostate Embolisation (UK-ROPE) which published its findings in 2018. This, in large led to the approval by NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) for PAE in April 2018.
Dr Hacking has the largest experience to date in the UK in PAE with over 300 cases performed by mid 2019. Spire Southampton Hospital, as part of an on-going study, set up the first private PAE service in the UK and from 2018 Dr Hacking set up PAE services in London at the Wellington and Princess Grace Hospitals, working with the Prostate Centre and other Independent Urology Groups.
An international expert
Dr Hacking has worked extensively in the fields of Hepatobiliary, Urological, Pancreatic and Gynaecological diagnostic and Interventional Radiology since 1987. Following training at the Middlesex and St Mary’s Hospitals in London he received his Radiological training in Southampton. He was appointed as a Consultant at Southampton University Hospitals in 1991 in Interventional and Abdominal Radiology. He has pioneered all the latest advances in Obstetric, Gynaecological, Liver, Biliary and Pancreatic, Urological and Oncological Interventional Radiology since that time.
As a leading figure in the new discipline of Interventional Oncology, Dr Hacking presents his findings at UK and International conferences throughout the world, is widely published in peer-reviewed journals and acts as a reviewer for many journals himself. He has run a very successful Fellowship in non-vascular Interventional Radiology and Interventional Oncology in Southampton and provides extensive training for established consultants in Interventional Radiology in UFE both in Southampton and through regular workshops in the Caribbean and in many African countries.
His specific areas of expertise include the following specialisms:
- Prostate Artery Embolisation (PAE) for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)
- Uterine Fibroid Embolisation (UFE)
- Uterine Artery Embolisation for Adenomyosis
- Ovarian Artery Embolisation (OAE) for recurrent fibroids after UFE
- Varicocoele Embolisation
Personal treatment philosophy
‘Over half of all middle-aged men suffer from prostate enlargement, which though non-cancerous can cause severe symptoms and embarrassment, while women with fibroids and adenomyosis can experience heavy menstrual blood loss, pain, pressure symptomps and even fertility problems. I’m passionate about being able to offer these non-invasive treatments that have minimal recovery time and a such a high safety profile.’
Treating heavy periods and pain
Fibroids are a common problem for a majority of women, and can have many life-disrupting symptoms.
Uterine Fibroid Embolisation (UFE) was a technique Dr Hacking and others introduced in the late 1990s. Starting in the UK in 1998 and the Caribbean in 1999, Dr Hacking has gained one of the most extensive experiences in UFE in the world.
Women of African and Afro-Caribbean descent have an increased risk of developing fibroids. To help give women in Africa and the West Indies access to this non-invasive fibroid treatment, and to help train young doctors and junior radiologists, Dr Hacking dedicates part of his time in these countries each year, carrying out procedures and spreading his knowledge of the technology.
He is the Founder and Medical Director of Fibroid Caribbean and UK Fibroid Experts groups.
In 2018 he has co-founded the group Fibroid Care Africa with Dr Andrew Lawson to offer UFE in many East and Southern African Countries.
Dr Hacking operates in the Caribbean at St Claire Medical, in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.
Over 3000 cases have been treated to date. ‘Fibroid Caribbean Ltd’ was founded in 2004 to coordinate UFE throughout the Caribbean region and offer advice to Caribbean women living at home or overseas.