Mr Ben Challacombe

Professional statement

Mr Ben Challacombe is a highly experienced and accomplished consultant urological surgeon based in London. He specialises in prostate cancer, robotic surgery in urology, nephrectomy (kidney removal), prostatectomy (prostate removal), minimal access surgery (keyhole surgery), and holmium laser (HoLEP) procedures.

With over 25 years of experience, Mr Challacombe is internationally renowned for his expertise in the field of urology. Mr Challacombe qualified in medicine from the University of London in 1998, and later gained a Master of Surgery (MS) degree. He went on to undergo training at esteemed institutions such as Guy's and St Thomas' Hospitals, The Royal Marsden Hospital, and the Royal Melbourne Hospital under the mentorship of Professor Tony Costello. He was later honoured with the prestigious Rowan Nicks Fellowship from the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. His comprehensive training encompassed both laparoscopic and robotic techniques, culminating in a significant milestone when he conducted the inaugural clinical trial of telerobotics in London and Oxford in 2002.He became a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in urology in 2008 and also holds a certificate in medical education. He sees private patients at The Prostate Clinic at The Harley Street Clinic.

Throughout his career, Mr Challacombe has held multiple esteemed positions in public associations and currently serves as the urological cancer and clinical robotics lead for Guy’s and St Thomas' Multi-disciplinary Meeting (MDM), chairman of the oncology section at the British Association of Urology (BAUS), and associate editor for the British Journal of Urology International (BJUI). Additionally, he is a trustee for The Urology Foundation Charity. Mr Challacombe is a passionate educator and is a robotic surgery mentor and robotic fellowship director, as well as an honorary reader and associate professor. He has produced over 230 articles, which appear in high-impact journals, as well as 3 books, and 25 contributions to textbooks. He remains actively involvement at the forefront of medical research, focusing on robotic surgery training and haptic probe development, amongst other areas in the field of urology.

In 2019, Mr Challacombe was awarded the Golden Cystoscope from the British Association of Urology (BAUS), and the Stevens Lecture from the Royal Society of Medicine in 2021. Notably, Mr Challacombe played a pivotal role in establishing the robotic cystectomy and robotic partial nephrectomy programs at Guy's Hospital, helping to vastly improve services and outcomes for patients. He is an active fundraiser and supporter of The Urology Foundation, having taken part in a number of running and cycling challenges for the charity.