A new type of surgery to rid people of kidney cancer is helping patients in Bradford make much quicker recoveries.

So far 20 people in the district have benefited from the procedure, called laparoscopic radical nephrectomy, to remove a cancerous kidney.

It involves the removal of the kidney through very small openings using a video camera so the surgeon can see what they are doing.

Traditionally, the only surgical option for the removal of a kidney was through a large cut in the abdomen which took a long time to recover from.

But Rajiv Puri, consultant urological surgeon for Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, is performing the innovative procedure after meeting a surgeon in the US who was already doing this type of surgery.

Mr Puri said: "It costs a little extra but it is not only quicker, but also safer and recovery is better. Patients stay on average only four days in hospital and are active again in weeks and the scars are remarkably small.

"The future is key hole surgery."

Mr Puri performs a type of surgery known as hand-assisted laparoscopy which involves him inserting one hand through a special device that requires an incision of just three inches.

A small tube which holds a video camera creates a live picture inside the patient's body so that Mr Puri can perform the entire surgery by watching a screen.

He believes there are no other surgeons in the UK performing this type of operation. Benefits include reduced blood loss, decreas-ed pain, shorter hospital stays, rapid recovery and improved cosmetic appearance.

Alan Menzies, a police officer, of Shipley, benefited from the procedure in June. The 38-year-old had been passing blood in his urine and went to his GP, who referred him for scans where it was found he had kidney cancer.

"I had the operation on June 10 and I was home after four days," he said.

Lorraine Asquith, 47, of Queensbury, who works for Bradford Council, found out she had kidney cancer by accident when she went for scan after suffering from swollen ankles.

"They found a tumour in my kidney," she said. "It was such a shock for me and my family. Mr Puri took my kidney out on August 3 and it was fine, there were no problems at all.

"My scar is even below

the bikini line, when I initially thought it would be very big."

Alan Cousen, 57, a self-employed plumber, of Wibsey, found that he was able to return to work in a matter of weeks after surgery with the help of his son Lee.

"I originally thought I would be cut right around my stomach, but I just wanted rid of it. When I met Mr Puri he told me about the new procedure," he said.