Mr. Garrett Durkan

About

Mr Garrett Durkan is a Consultant Urological Surgeon with extensive expertise in urological oncology, minimally invasive surgery, and robotic prostatectomy. After graduating from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) in 1991, Mr Durkan pursued specialist training in the UK and was appointed as a Consultant Urological Surgeon at Freeman Hospital in Newcastle upon Tyne in 2004. In 2010, he returned to Ireland and was appointed Consultant Urological Surgeon at University Hospital Galway by the National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP).

Education and Training

Mr Durkan graduated from RCSI in 1991 and completed his internship at Beaumont Hospital. He earned his FRCSI in 1995, followed by basic surgical training in the Dublin Region Pre-Fellowship Surgical Training Scheme in 1996. From 1999 to 2004, he undertook higher specialist training in Urology in the Northern Deanery, Newcastle upon Tyne, and was awarded his FRCS(Urol) in May 2003. He completed his Certificate of Completion of Specialist Training (CCST) in Urology in 2004.

Mr Durkan also completed a Travelling Fellowship at the Department of Urology, University of Berne, Switzerland, under Professor Urs Studer, where he trained in orthotopic neo-bladder reconstruction.

Clinical Expertise

Mr Durkan specialises in the diagnosis and treatment of prostate, bladder, and renal cancers, with a focus on minimally invasive surgery and robotic prostatectomy. During his time at Freeman Hospital, he played a key role in introducing laparoscopic radical prostatectomy and laparoscopic radical cystectomy. He also has a special interest in bladder reconstruction and continues to provide expert care in complex urological oncology cases.

Research and Contributions

Mr Durkan has been actively involved in clinical research throughout his career. His MD thesis, awarded by the University of Newcastle upon Tyne in 2002, focused on the role of matrix metalloproteinases in the metastatic spread of bladder cancer. He has held leadership roles in urological oncology, including Chairman of the Uro-Oncology MDT and Lead Clinician for Clinical Trials in Urological Oncology at Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne.